Brad Pitt may be headed to Cannes, but we still don't get that crazy beard.

Credit: AP Photo/Evan Agostini

It's hard to believe, but the 2010 Cannes Film Festival is less than eight weeks away.  And as the world's premier cinematic showcase, it traditionally features a number of films that will be in play during awards season.  It appears 2010 is no exception.

When 20th Century Fox moved Oliver Stone's "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" to September, the studio also hinted the new date wasn't because the film was troubled (not that anyone would have ever admitted that).  In fact, according to Variety, the rumors that the Shia Labeouf and Michael Douglas drama will screen at the Croisette appear to be true.  A sequel to Stone's 1987 snapshot of '80s greed, "Wall Street," "Money Never Sleeps" also features recent Oscar nominees Carey Mulligan and Josh Brolin.  What's unclear is whether "Money" will screen in or out of competition, but it will certainly be timely with the current global economic climate.

Two other films that are prime candidates to make some noise at the fest is Woody Allen's "You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger" (which conveniently also stars Brolin) and Terrence Malick's "Tree of Life."  Sony Classics already acquired "Stranger" and slotted it with a prime early awards season release date.  Allen is no stranger to Cannes, but has never won the Palm d'Or.  His last film to screen at the fest was 2008's "Vicky Christina Barcelona."

"Tree of Life" is the long awaited film from auteur Malick starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, but while it's expected top open sometime this year, studio Apparition has not set an official release date.  Now, Thompson on Hollywood is reporting that while Malick hasn't finished editing, the hope is still to debut the drama at Cannes.  Malick won the Best Director award at the festival way back in 1979 for his classic "Days of Heaven."

One film officially confirmed for the festival is Ridley Scott's "Robin Hood." Like "Up" and "The Da Vinci Code" before it, "Robin Hood" will premier out of competition for a big European publicity blitz only days before its international openings.

The Cannes Film Festival runs from May 12-23 and we'll be keeping a close eye on the reaction to all the films from this side of the Atlantic.