Kristen Stewart on Her Absurd Cannes Movie ‘Full Phil’ and Being ‘So Sick’ of the Studio System: ‘There Needs to Be Less Making Billionaires More F—ing Billionaires’

May 16, 2026 11:30am PT

Kristen Stewart on Her Absurd Cannes Movie ‘Full Phil’ and Being ‘So Sick’ of the Studio System: ‘There Needs to Be Less Making Billionaires More F—ing Billionaires’

Kristen Stewart was ready to sign on to Quentin Dupieux’s “Full Phil” before she even read the script.

The Oscar-nominated actor and director had long been a fan of the French filmmaker — known for his absurd and surreal style — and was curious about his DIY approach, often shooting projects quickly and on a microbudget.

“I love his movies. They just don’t look or feel like anyone else’s, and those are the types of directors that actors are so lucky to be able to follow,” Stewart tells Variety from an airport lounge in the Canary Islands — where she’s currently shooting Panos Cosmatos’ vampire thriller “Flesh of the Gods” — before heading to Cannes for the “Full Phil” premiere. “He holds the camera at all times. You are with him, connected completely. He knows how he’s going to edit it by the end of the day. If he’s missing a shot, he gets it. He’s beyond an auteur, he’s like a mastermind.”