Chris Rock Joins Cannes Short Film Cast

Chris Rock has joined Paul Rudd in Goodnight, Lamby, adding another major name to a short film already heading into one of Cannes’ most closely watched sidebars.

The project blends live action and animation and comes from artist and filmmaker Dustin Yellin. Reports indicate the film will debut next week in the Cannes Classics lineup at the Cannes Film Festival, a slot that gives the short an immediate spotlight even before audiences see how its unusual form plays on screen.

A Cannes launch, a hybrid format, and a voice cast led by Chris Rock and Paul Rudd put Goodnight, Lamby squarely on the radar.

Darren Aronofsky and Justin A. Gonçalves produce the film, giving the project added industry weight. The combination matters: Rock and Rudd bring broad recognition, while Aronofsky’s involvement signals ambition beyond a novelty short. Source material also suggests the film features an original song, another element that could shape how the work stands out in a crowded festival field.

At this stage, the announcement says as much about positioning as it does about plot. Cannes Classics usually carries the prestige of film history and restoration, so a new hybrid short appearing there gives Goodnight, Lamby a distinct frame. It arrives not simply as another festival premiere, but as a project presented in conversation with cinema’s legacy and craft.

What comes next depends on the response in Cannes. Festival reactions could shape whether Goodnight, Lamby expands its profile beyond a single high-wattage screening and into wider cultural conversation. For now, the film has achieved the first hard part: it has turned a brief festival listing into a headline with real momentum.