Christopher Nolan says ‘Dunkirk’ is not going to Cannes

Chris Pizzello / Invision / AP

Christopher Nolan, director of the upcoming film “Dunkirk,” discusses the film onstage during the Warner Bros. Pictures presentation at CinemaCon 2017 at Caesars Palace on Wednesday, March 29, 2017, in Las Vegas.

Associated Press

Friday, March 31, 2017 | 1:02 a.m.

LAS VEGAS — Filmmaker Christopher Nolan says that despite speculation to the contrary, his upcoming World War II epic "Dunkirk" is not going to play at the Cannes Film Festival.

Nolan told The Associated Press that the film will not be done by the time films are lighting up the Croisette at the esteemed festival, now in its 70th year. The Cannes Film Festival runs from May 17 through May 28, and official selections will be announced on April 13.

Telling the story of the famed evacuation of Allied soldiers in May and June of 1940, "Dunkirk" is set for release in North American theaters on July 21. It stars Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, Harry Styles and newcomer Fionn Whitehead.