Cate Blanchett’s New Film ‘Rumours’ Is Named After the Fleetwood Mac Album: Its Characters Are ‘Creatively Fraught and Everyone Was Sleeping With Each Other, So It Made Sense’

Cate Blanchett‘s new film “Rumours” took its name from the iconic Fleetwood Mac album, it was revealed on Sunday at a Cannes Film Festival press conference.

The dark comedy, directed by Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson, follows a group of world leaders who meet at the G7 — a political and economic meeting of the minds between Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States — but get lost in the woods while trying to compose a joint statement. Debauchery ensues, and there are romantic connections between a few of the politicians.

“I did confirm something with Galen last night, and it’s weird that it never came up in rehearsal, which is: ‘Why the hell is this movie called Rumours?’” Blanchett said at the presser. “And my husband had said, ‘Is that after the Fleetwood Mac album?’ And you said, ‘Yes it was.’”

Galen Johnson said that the directors were looking at a “list of 10 best album names and ‘Rumours’ was on there and we liked that name.”

“‘Rumours’ the album was famously creatively fraught and everyone was sleeping with each other, so it made sense to us,” Galen Johnson continued. “No one questioned it. We thought people, producers and financiers, would be like, ‘Why “Rumours”?’ But no one ever questioned it, so it just made the title.”

At its premiere on Saturday night, “Rumours” earned a four-minute standing ovation as Blanchett blew kisses to the crowd. The crowd welcomed the film’s dark humor, laughing throughout the entirety of the late-night screening.

In addition to Blanchett, “Rumours” also stars Alicia Vikander, Charles Dance, Roy Dupuis, Denis Ménochet, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Rolando Ravello, Takehiro Hira and Zlatko Burić. It is screening out of competition at Cannes.

Co-director Madden is one of the most celebrated Canadian filmmakers and is best known for his experimental style. His previous films include “The Saddest Music in the World” (2003) and “My Winnipeg” (2007). With Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson, Maddin has co-directed 2017’s “The Green Fog,” which revisited Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” through found footage.

Blanchett has previously been on the Croisette for Todd Hayne’s “Carol” (2015), for which she earned a best actress nomination at the Oscars. And, in 2018, Blanchett served as the jury president of the festival. Vikander was last at Cannes for Karim Aïnouz’s “Firebrand,” which competed for the Palme d’Or.

“Rumours” is produced by Square Peg, Buffalo Gal Pictures and Maze Pictures.