It is the year 2115. November 18, to be exact. A crowd gathers at the Domaine du Grollet in Cognac, France. They aren't there for a typical film premiere. They are the descendants of "influencers" and celebrities from a century ago, clutching tarnished metal tickets passed down through three generations.
A high-tech safe, once showcased behind bulletproof glass at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, finally clicks open. Inside is a physical film reel and a projector. This is the moment the world finally gets to see 100 Years, the project widely known as the john malkovich 100 year movie.
Most of us reading this right now? Yeah, we’ll be long gone. Honestly, it’s kind of a bizarre, slightly frustrating thought. Why would anyone spend time, money, and creative energy on a film they know for a fact they will never see with an audience?
The Ultimate "Mastery of Time" or Just a Marketing Stunt?
To understand why this movie exists, you have to look at the sponsor: Louis XIII Cognac. If you know anything about high-end spirits, you know that a single bottle of Louis XIII takes 100 years to age. The cellar masters who start the process will never taste the final product. It’s a legacy project by definition.
Back in 2015, the brand approached John Malkovich and director Robert Rodriguez with a pitch that sounded like a sci-fi fever dream. They wanted to create a "proactive piece of art" that mirrored their cognac’s production cycle.
Malkovich didn't just act in it; he wrote the script. Rodriguez, the guy who gave us Sin City and Desperado, took the director's chair. But instead of a digital file sitting on a server somewhere, they put the finished product on actual film and locked it in a time-sensitive vault.
There is something incredibly physical about it. No cloud storage. No leaked MP4s. Just a box in a cellar in France waiting for the clock to run out.
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What is the john malkovich 100 year movie actually about?
Nobody knows. Well, almost nobody.
Malkovich and Rodriguez have been tight-lipped, but they did release three "teasers" that aren't actually footage from the film. Instead, these clips show three different versions of the future.
Three Visions of 2115
The first teaser, titled "Retro," imagines a future as seen through the lens of 1940s and 50s science fiction. Think The Jetsons or early Flash Gordon.
The second, "Nature," depicts a world where civilization has collapsed, and nature has reclaimed the cities. It’s very post-apocalyptic, semi-overgrown, and quiet.
The third, "Future," shows an ultra-high-tech, computerized version of the world. It’s sleek, digital, and perhaps a bit cold.
Malkovich has said that the actual movie grapples with these "what will the future look like?" questions while referencing the year 2015. He spent a lot of time researching "futurism" and how people from 1915 imagined our world today. Some of their predictions were spot on; most were hilariously wrong.
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The Cast and the Mystery
The film isn't just a monologue by Malkovich. It features an international cast:
- John Malkovich as the "Hero"
- Shuya Chang as the "Hero Girl"
- Marko Zaror as the "Bad Guy"
Zaror is a professional martial artist, which suggests the movie probably has some action sequences. But since the "trailers" don't show the real plot, we're left guessing. Is it a deep philosophical meditation? Is it a short action flick?
It’s actually a short film, which is sort of funny when you think about it. You wait 100 years for something that might only be 15 minutes long.
The Pharrell Connection
Adding another layer to the "don't look at this yet" theme, Pharrell Williams got involved too. He wrote a song also titled "100 Years" that was recorded on a record made of clay from the Cognac region. It’s sitting in a crate that will only survive if the sea levels don't rise and submerge it. If the water reaches the record, it dissolves. Talk about high-stakes environmental art. That one is set for 2117.
Why the john malkovich 100 year movie matters in 2026
In a world of instant gratification, this project is a giant middle finger to the "skip ad" culture. We want everything now. We want to stream it, pause it, and meme it within seconds of release.
But you can't do that with this.
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It forces a weird kind of perspective. It makes you realize that 100 years is both a very long time and a blink of an eye in human history. The creators are essentially saying that some things are worth the wait, even if the person waiting isn't you.
Critics have called it pretentious. Others think it’s a brilliant piece of long-form branding. Honestly, it’s probably both. But it has successfully turned a cognac advertisement into a legendary piece of cinematic lore.
Actionable Insights for the Curious
Since you can't watch the movie, here is what you can actually do to engage with the mystery:
- Watch the Teasers: Search for "100 Years: The Movie You Will Never See" on YouTube. The three different "Future" visions are still available and give a sense of the aesthetic Rodriguez was going for.
- Look for the Tickets: Occasionally, stories pop up about the 1,000 metal tickets. They are legitimate artifacts. If you ever see one at an auction or in a museum, know that it's essentially a deed for a descendant to attend a party in another century.
- Follow the Vault: The safe is currently housed at the Louis XIII cellars in Cognac, France. It’s a real place. If you're ever in the region, you can basically stand in the presence of a movie that doesn't technically "exist" yet.
- Think About Your Own Legacy: The project is a great prompt for a "time capsule" mindset. What are you creating today that will still have value or even be understandable in 100 years?
We spend so much time worrying about the next fiscal quarter or the next weekend. The john malkovich 100 year movie is a rare reminder that the world will keep spinning long after we're gone, and maybe, just maybe, someone will still be interested in the stories we told.
Wait for the year 2115. Or, more realistically, accept that the mystery is the point.