Bill Murray arrived in France to open the Cannes Film Festival and got caught in the middle of a cab drivers’ strike, sources exclusively told Page Six.
But while many film pros struggled to get out of the airport — with cranky cabbies blocking off the roads — the eclectic actor explained to a driver that he needed to escape because “there was a zombie situation in Cannes.”
The gambit worked, and the driver broke ranks and whisked Murray away.
After all, the actor wasn’t completely telling tall tales — he arrived in Cannes to open the fest with the world premiere of his latest film, “The Dead Don’t Die,” Jim Jarmusch’s zombie comedy co-starring Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Chloe Sevigny and Selena Gomez.
A source said of Murray: “He got off the plane and couldn’t get to his private car and driver — so he started talking to the taxi drivers who were there protesting and took selfies with them. He basically told them he ‘rides in cabs in New York City all the time and is a big supporter, but there is a zombie situation’ in Cannes. So one of the taxi drivers gave him a ride and he left his private car that was stuck in the protest blockade.”
Another source told us Murray was also seen giving the striking cabbies autographs.
Murray then continued to make headlines on the red carpet at the film’s debut Tuesday night. He was seen whispering in co-star Gomez’s ear and giving her a kiss for the cameras.
Later at a party for the film at a rooftop hotspot, Le Club by Albane, Murray and Gomez were spotted tucked in a back corner booth.
“They seem like close confidantes,” said a spy. “At one point, she rested her head on Bill’s shoulder and shut her eyes. Her friends were taking pics.”
Gomez — who received a kidney transplant in 2017, and entered rehab for mental health issues — was not drinking, spies said, though she was spotted puffing on a Juul.
The cast had a private dinner after the film, then arrived at the party after midnight.
Another star of the film, Luka Sabbat — the fashion influencer who makes his big-screen debut — told us of the Cannes opening, “I’m really overwhelmed. I’m speechless, I’m so humbled, it’s crazy.”
He said of indie film icon Jarmusch: “He’s the chillest guy of all time. He’s super tight.”
At the party, there were also “zombies” in cages greeting guests as they entered.
Drivers at the Nice airport this week have been “parked in entryways to block traffic, so Ubers and buses couldn’t get through,” a source told Page Six. “People were walking long distances to get outside the airport and try and get a ride.” Except Murray, that is.
The drivers are striking because of local restrictions that don’t apply to services like Uber.