Messi, The Canine From Anatomy Of A Fall, Gets His Own Cannes TV Show

Messi, the canine actor from the Oscar-winning film Anatomy of a Fall, will headline his own TV series. According to IndieWire, the short programme will premiere during the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, producer D18 Paris announced. It will be set at the gala, but not as part of the festival line-up. The series has a title that translates to Messi: The Cannes Festival Seen from a Dog's Point of View.

How many episodes will be there on Messi's show?

It will consist of eight one-minute-long episodes that will air daily on multiple French TV stations from May 13 until the end of the festival on May 25. It will allow viewers to experience the Cannes Film Festival from dawn until late night "through the eyes and the voice" of Messi, said the production house, which referred to the seven-year-old French Border Collie dog as "the canine George Clooney".

"This will be an opportunity for Messi to ask his guests any questions with the innocence of a dog. When you're the current international star, you can do anything... and Messi dares to do it all!" the banner said. The idea for the short programme came from Tim Newman, who will serve as producer for D18. Raphael Mezrahi, who will provide the voice for Messi, wrote the show which is directed by Loic Pourageaux. Laura Martin is Messi's trainer and owner.

What more do we know about Messi's TV series?

The series will be sponsored by TikTok. Messi played a key role as the guide dog Snoop in Anatomy of a Fall, directed by Justine Triet and fronted by Sandra Huller. He also won the Palm Dog Award, the unofficial honour given to the best canine performance at Cannes last year, for his role in Anatomy of a Fall, also the winner of the gala's top prize, Palme d'Or. Messi also made headlines when he attended the Oscars earlier this year, although host Jimmy Kimmel later admitted that the dog didn't stay for the whole ceremony. The 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival will open on May 14.

(With PTI inputs)