Terrence Malick film tipped for Cannes

Cannes' red carpet could play host to the most reclusive figure in world cinema if Terrence Malick is confirmed as a contender for this year's Palme d'Or award. Speculation is growing that Malick's latest feature, The Tree of Life, will be selected for the competition at the 63rd Cannes film festival, raising the prospect of the director attending the May event in person. Malick has shot just four features since making his debut with the acclaimed Badlands back in 1973, and makes a habit of refusing all interview requests. Contenders for the Cannes Palme d'Or are typically expected to attend the red-carpet premiere of their film, as well as fielding questions at a press conference following the screening. True to form, plot details of Malick's latest work remain shrouded in secrecy. Sources suggest that The Tree of Life is an inter-generational rites-of-passage drama in the style of John Steinbeck's East of Eden. Brad Pitt takes the role of the father in the film's early sections, and the plot then jumps ahead to chart the experiences of his adult son, played by Sean Penn. The Tree of Life is due for an official theatrical release in November. Other possible pictures in this year's line-up include Woody Allen's You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Oliver Stone's sequel to his 1987 blockbuster. The 63rd Cannes film festival opens on 12 May with the world premiere of Ridley Scott's Robin Hood.