Baz Luhrmann is getting ready to bring a beloved American tale to France this year. The director will open the 66th annual Cannes Film Festival with his flashy big-screen adaptation of "The Great Gatsby" on May 15.

The film was originally slated to hit theaters during the 2012 holiday season, but was delayed so Luhrmann could complete work on the flick, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio as F. Scott Fitzgerald's literary icon Jay Gatsby. It also stars Carey Mulligan in the pivotal role of Gatsby's lost love, Daisy, as well as Tobey Maguire, Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher and Jason Clarke.

In a statement, Luhrmann said, "We are thrilled to return to a country, place and festival that has always been so close to our hearts, not only because my first film 'Strictly Ballroom' was screened there 21 years ago but also because F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote some of the most poignant and beautiful passages of his extraordinary novel just a short distance away at a villa outside St. Raphael."

According to Deadline, the film will play during the glitzy French film festival just days after it opens in the States on May 10. Luhrmann previously opened the fete with his equally splashy "Moulin Rouge" in 2001.

Luhrmann first announced plans for the project back in 2010, and from there it took on a life of its own, eventually bringing in [article id="1699584"]Jay-Z to help with the musical aspects[/article] of the flick. Rap's own Gatsby, along with the Bullitts, will score the flick. Hova's Watch the Throne track [article id="1685668"]"No Church in The Wild"[/article] appeared in the trailer, which dropped last May.