Cannes, France – Ethan Coen’s film Honey Don’t! closed the Cannes Film Festival with glamour on May 23, drawing stars like Margaret Qualley and Aubrey Plaza to the red carpet. But one major name was notably absent—Chris Evans.
The actor, best known for playing Captain America, skipped the Cannes premiere to celebrate a special family occasion: his mother’s 70th birthday. Evans shared the reason for his absence in an Instagram Story days after the screening.
“I wish I could’ve been with my incredible cast and filmmakers at Cannes,” Evans wrote. “But it was my mother’s 70th birthday, and there are some things you just can’t miss! Congrats everyone!!”
Honey Don’t! stars Qualley as Honey O’Donahue, a small-town private detective who investigates a string of bizarre deaths linked to a mysterious church. Evans plays the church’s charismatic but sinister minister in a comedic role. Plaza appears as a police officer who becomes Honey’s romantic partner before their relationship unravels. The cast also includes Charlie Day and Billy Eichner.
The film marks Coen’s second collaboration with Qualley, following their 2023 road-trip comedy Drive-Away Dolls.
The Cannes premiere received an enthusiastic response. The audience gave the film a six-minute standing ovation, with loud cheers for Qualley and Plaza. Music producer Jack Antonoff, Qualley’s husband, was also present at the event. Coen called the moment “a fun way to end the festival.”
Honey Don’t! will be released in U.S. theaters on August 22 through Focus Features. Evans has another film scheduled for this summer—Materialists, a romantic drama from Past Lives director Celine Song. The A24 film, co-starring Dakota Johnson and Pedro Pascal, hits theaters on June 13.
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