Award-winning Filipino director Lav Diaz announced plans to premiere the movie "Magellan" at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in May, as reported by the American entertainment website screendaily.com.

Lav disclosed details about his latest masterpiece at the Doha Film Institute’s Qumra lab, where he is a Master. The director said he “just finished” the film, which is “all about death".

“Some festivals, maybe they just want to show three hours, so the producers compromise so that they will see three hours of it. But I will have the full cut.

“[The producers] are trying some very imposing festival in France,” said Diaz, referring to Cannes. “But I don’t know. They will be having some headaches about it," the article read.

"Magellan" has been in development for several years, with the Portuguese production company Rosa Filmes first presenting it in their slate in 2019. The film is also produced by Spain’s Andergraun Films, Black Cap Pictures from the Philippines, and Volos Films from Taiwan.

When asked about the presence of violence in his work, Diaz responded, “It’s the nature of my culture. Filipinos are very violent. Magellan found out – he came here, they killed him.”

Previously, Lav hoped the 165-minute version of Magellan, his feature film starring Gael Garcia Bernal as Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, would debut at Cannes.

On April 10, Cannes officially announced that Magellan had been selected as one of nine films to premiere at the prestigious film festival.

Previously titled "Beatrice, The Wife," the movie has been renamed "Magellan," although a longer title has not yet been determined. 

Lav has changed the focus from Magellan’s relationship with his wife, Beatrice, to incorporate more perspectives from the conquered Malay people.

In Philippine history, Magellan was a Portuguese explorer who discovered the Philippines on March 16, 1521. He later died in the Battle of Mactan.