Story perspectives

Animated Memoir ‘Tangles’ Premieres Cannes, Rogen’s Tears Move Crowd

5/15/2026

Summary

Rogen Cannes Ovation

Tangles premiered at Cannes on May 14, 2026.
Seth Rogen and Lauren Miller Rogen produced the animation of Sarah Leavitt’s 2010 graphic memoir with voice talent Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Beanie Feldstein, Sarah Silverman and Rogen.
Rogen cried during the Cannes screening, prompting a seven-minute standing ovation.
International rights are handled by CAA Media Finance and domestic rights by UTA, while the film lacks a distributor or release date.

Summary

Sarah’s Lesbian Romance

The film centers on Sarah’s lesbian romance with Donimo within a family drama.
Director Leah Nelson co-writes the adaptation to preserve the graphic novel’s visual singularity.
The adaptation shifts the setting from Vancouver to 1999 San Francisco, contrasting Maine’s suburbs with the city’s queer scene.
The overt LGBTQ focus is marketed as a selling point for queer-oriented buyers and festivals.

History

Historical Context

In March 1996, Mike Nichols released *The Birdcage*, a major studio comedy starring Robin Williams and Nathan Lane that earned $185.3 million worldwide and proved mainstream audiences could embrace a gay-centered story. The film’s commercial success helped open the market for LGBTQ-themed projects, a trend reflected in the 2026 Cannes debut of Seth Rogen’s animated queer film *Tangles*, which follows the same path of studio backing and festival exposure.

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Rogen Cannes Ovation

Tangles premiered at Cannes on May 14, 2026.
Seth Rogen and Lauren Miller Rogen produced the animation of Sarah Leavitt’s 2010 graphic memoir with voice talent Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Beanie Feldstein, Sarah Silverman and Rogen.
Rogen cried during the Cannes screening, prompting a seven-minute standing ovation.
International rights are handled by CAA Media Finance and domestic rights by UTA, while the film lacks a distributor or release date.

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