Ruben Östlund on Seating Keanu Reeves Next to a Corpse in ‘The Entertainment System Is Down’ and Cannes Rumors

“Triangle of Sadness” director met with Variety following his explosive presentation of much-anticipated “The Entertainment System Is Down,” which might be heading to Cannes in 2026. Or in 2027.

You don’t care about spoilers, but why did you reveal such crucial plot points at Göteborg Film Festival? Including the ending?

When I think about some of the directors I really admire, I like it when they make me curious about how they’re going to visualize things. When I watch a movie or hear about a great idea, I don’t care how it ends. All I want to know is: How will it be made? That’s what creates my curiosity.

Around 2005, YouTube changed the way we look at moving images because these videos always give away the ending in the title. Yet, you still click on them. You go to the theater knowing how “Hamlet” will end. When we hear about a film,…