Cannes 2025: Kristen Stewart fears “the worst” for movie industry amid Donald Trump’s tariffs
Appearing at the Cannes Festival, actor Kristen Stewart discussed Donald Trump’s complicated relationship with the film industry.
Stewart described the world as she sees it, which is bleak and almost dystopian. She commented to the Hollywood Reporter in a new interview: “We’re living in a world that’s folding in on itself by the split second… we’re all looking over our shoulders going: ‘Holy shit.’ The slippage is just terrifying.”
Stewart expanded on her hopelessness when asked about Trump’s proposal for film industry tariffs. She said: “We discuss this every day, like, what’s gonna happen? [Especially] now that we’ve finally found our voices … Not that it wasn’t treacherous before but now, [it is] in a way that is so literal, so strikingly essential and vital, but naturally terrifying.”
The Personal Shopper actor revealed her realistic attitude towards the whole ordeal. She said: “[Trump’s] shadow is bleak and very dark … we should expect the worst and fight for the best.”
However, the new director isn’t giving up hope. Stewart also expressed some positivity about the current political climate, stating, “It’s an exciting time to be alive. And it’s cool that we all get to be loud together. But at the same time, is that going to do anything? What’s gonna happen?”
Stewart isn’t the first actor to talk about Trump’s impact on the industry. Most recently, Black Widow star Scarlett Johansson explained how “big tech guys” funding the film industry have “muzzled” the creative expression allowed in mainstream projects. Many of these executives, she said, attended Trump’s inauguration. “These are people that are funding studios. It’s all these big tech guys that are funding our industry, and funding the Oscars,” she revealed.
The Chronology of Water has been a long-standing passion project for Stewart, who announced its development in 2018. The film is based on the memoir written by Lidia Yuknavitch, who recounts her childhood swimming career before she went off the rails in college.
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