(L to R) Isabela Merced and Pedro Pascal in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
Preview:
‘The Last of Us’ has been renewed for Season 3.
The show adapts the wildly successful video game.
Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey star in the show.
With the second season of much-loved video game adaptation ‘The Last of Us’ landing on screens to plenty of acclaim this past weekend, it would appear that HBO’s belief in the show is at an all-time high.
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The channel has handed down a third-season order for the show, which adapts the video game created by Neil Druckmann and his team at Naughty Dog Studios.
‘The Last of Us’ series is set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by people infected by a fungus that turns them into mutated zombie-like creatures, and stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey.
Bella Ramsey in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
‘The Last of Us’ takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, played by Pascal, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie (Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heartbreaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.
Producers/Showrunners Craig Mazin (‘Chernobyl’) and Druckmann have yet to detail exactly what the new season will cover.
The first season of ‘The Last of Us’ covered much of games ‘The Last of Us Part I’ and ‘The Last of Us: Left Behind’, while Season 2 will cover part of ‘The Last of Us Part II,’ kicking off with a five-year time jump as in the video game.
Ellie, 14 in Part I and Left Behind, is 19 in Part II, and she and Joel have been living in Jackson since they left the Fireflies in Salt Lake City.
While zero details have been revealed on Season 3, we can expect it to tackle more of ‘The Last of Us Part II.’
Who else is in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2?
Kaitlyn Dever in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
With Pascal and Ramsey both back for the new season, the cast of the show is growing and changing as their quest continues.
On top of them, Jeffrey Wright is playing Isaac, who in the game is the quietly powerful leader of a large militia group, known as the Washington Liberation Front. They sought liberty but instead have become mired in an endless war against a surprisingly resourceful enemy.
Wright represents the second actor to reprise a voice role from the game, after Merle Dandridge did the same for her character Marlene in Season 1.
And while we won’t get too deeply into it, if Season 2 covers certain events, the cast will be a little smaller when Season 3 dawns. But again; without having seen the whole season, we can’t speak to that, and won’t spoil anything for those who approach the story from the point of view of the show alone and haven’t played the game.
‘The Last of Us’ Season 3 renewal: The Team Talks
(L to R) Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann on the set of ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
With the renewal now official (hardly a surprise given the success of the show so far and the early reactions to Season 2 even before its launch), HBO and the show’s creators have weighed in on its return.
“It can’t be overemphasized how proud HBO is for the outstanding achievement we believe the second season of ‘The Last of Us’ is. Craig, Neil, Carolyn and the entire executive producer team, cast and crew have delivered a masterful follow-up and we’re thrilled to carry the power of Craig and Neil’s storytelling into what we know will be an equally moving and extraordinary third season.”
And this is what Craig Mazin had to say:
“We approached season two with the goal of creating something we could be proud of. The end results have exceeded even our most ambitious goals, thanks to our continued collaboration with HBO and the impeccable work of our unparalleled cast and crew. We look forward to continuing the story of ‘The Last of Us’ with season three!”
Finally, this is the quote from Druckmann:
“To see ‘The Last of Us’ brought to life so beautifully and faithfully has been a career highlight for me, and I am grateful for the fans’ enthusiastic and overwhelming support. Much of that success is thanks to my partner in crime, Craig Mazin, our partnership with HBO, and our team at PlayStation Productions. On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog, our cast, and crew, thank you so much for allowing us this opportunity. We’re thrilled to bring you more of ‘The Last of Us’!”
When will ‘The Last of Us’ Season 3 be on screens?
We’ll all need some patience. Season 2 has just launched this past weekend, and while we’re relatively sure the team knew that Season 3 would be a done deal, there is still scripting and filming work to be done.
With luck, we should have the new season next year, though ‘The Last of Us’ has been such a good thing so far that it’s worth waiting for.
(L to R) Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in ‘The Last of Us’ season 1. Photo: Liane Hentscher/HBO.
Pedro Pascal in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 receives 8.5 out of 10 stars.
Back on Max for its second season and debut the first episode on April 13th, ‘The Last of Us’ plunges us back into the chaotic, carefully-crafted world adapted from the Naughty Dog game originally created by Neil Druckmann and his team.
Now Druckmann, working again with co-showrunner Craig Mazin, is starting the even more perplexing process of adapting ‘The Last of Us Part II,’ which deepened the story of the game and its hard-bitten survivors.
Is ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 worth battling mushroom zombies to see?
(L to R) Bella Ramsey and Gabriel Luna in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
Perhaps the biggest question, and indeed challenge facing the new season of the show is whether it can live up to the praise and success of the first. It’s a situation that co-creator Neil Druckmann has faced before in this universe, and it should give fans of the show who never played the game hope that by all regards, ‘The Last of Us Part II’ is seen as superior to the original, much-loved game.
Of course, season 2 of a TV series, even one with a pedigree such as this, is a different beast. Yet Druckmann and Mazin have shown remarkable patience and care with their work, bring what works about the game to the screen by making the changes necessary to ensure it functions in a different, less interactive medium.
And it’s reassuring to report that, on the basis of the first episode of the new season, ‘Future Days,’ their efforts continue to pay off.
Script and Direction
(L to R) Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann on the set of ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
While Mazin and Druckmann do the lion’s share of the writing on the show, the first episode features a script by Halley Wegryn Gross that has a lot of work to do.
Though there is a brief moment set right at the end of Season 1, the majority of the episode takes place five years later. With the survivors’ base in Jackson, Wyoming (a former ski resort repurposed as a fortress against the fungi-ravaged zombie-like mutants that prowl the lands between encampments) up and running as a functioning community.
That means we not only have to be re-introduced to Pedro Pascal’s tough-but-heartfelt Joel and Bella Ramsey’s headstrong Ellie (now even more so as a 19-year-old brawler itching to take on more responsibility), but fill us in on all the other characters.
Bella Ramsey in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
The script for ‘Future Days’ is busy but finds time for everyone –– even deviating from the game in introducing and immediately identifying Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby Anders as someone who is looking to enact vengeance on Joel for his actions in the final episode of the previous season.
Another challenge for the script is to start building towards what game players already know is coming either in this season or the next (both are drawn from ‘The Last of Us Part II’ game) –– no spoilers, but things don’t end well.
Mazin doesn’t have that many directing credits to his name despite years in the feature business, and even with his involvement in the series, this is the first time he has called the shots on an episode. But he shows a steady hand and a clear eye for what makes the show work, and if the time jump is a jolt, the style is not.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in ‘The Last of Us’ season 1. Photo: Liane Hentscher/HBO.
Anchored by Pascal and Ramsey, the episode doesn’t forget to give other performers some solid work.
Pascal is, of course, still great as the haunted, soulful Joel, the man who never expected to find a surrogate daughter after losing his own in the early days of the pandemic that rocked the world. Here, we find him in problem-solving mode, and Pascal brings out all the tones, including his sly sense of humor.
(Left) Kaitlyn Dever in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO. (Right) Catherine O’Hara in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
Ramsey has even more to prove with the more grown version of Ellie, but they handle the job fluidly, this tougher, less childish version of the character finding new connections while still dealing with old issues.
Among the newcomers we meet, Dever makes and impact with relatively little screen time as Abby, Isabel Merced is a shiny delight as Dina and Catherine O’Hara gets to go to some deeper places as Gail, who is tending to Joel’s mental health.
Final Thoughts
Pedro Pascal in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
Though it remains to be seen how the rest of the season and beyond plays out, the first episode of ‘The Last of Us’ new season is a welcomer reminder of why this is one of the best shows on TV.
There is so much solid character work going on from both sides of the camera, and the look of the show, including some truly scary mushroom mutants, is still superb.
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What is the plot of ‘The Last of Us’ season 2?
Five years after the events of the first season, Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) are drawn into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.
Landing on Disney+ daily across eight days from December 22nd, the second season of Marvel’s Disney+ animated series ‘What If…?’ wraps up the show’s run –– at least for now –– with another set of episodes where several build to a grand, multiverse-hopping finale.
Disney’s Marvel arm has seen something of a renewal this year, between the success of ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ (even if that film poked plenty of fun at how tired the idea of the multiverse seems these days) and ‘Agatha All Along.’ And now here comes the welcome return of ‘What If…?’ which again blends more stand-alone stories with some clever easter eggs (and in one case, an actual egg) that knit together to spin a bigger tale around Jeffrey Wright’s powerful The Watcher. Who, it turns out, will have to answer for meddling in the affairs of different universes.
Does ‘What If…?’ Season 3 still provide multiversal fun?
In keeping with the previous two seasons, the new run of ‘What If…?’ offers a blend of intriguing possibilities and an overarching spine that only starts to reveal itself towards the end of this final eight episodes. Those who have seen the previous seasons won’t be surprised at what it is building to, though it’s mostly satisfying.
But the pleasure in this show is usually more in the individual episodes, which here run the gamut between the hilarious (one focused on Howard the Duck and his unlikely, but somehow perfect relationship) and the heartbreaking (an epic, dystopian story of what happens with a ‘Black Panther’-associated character following the near destruction of Earth by Tiamut the celestial). Indeed, there is better use of several elements of the ‘Eternals’ than in the movie itself.
Another welcome element, near prescient, given the runaway success of her solo show, is the presence of Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness.
And that’s probably about all we can say on that front, given the extensive embargoes in place on this!
The regular writing team of Matthew Chauncey, Ryan Little and A.C. Bradley are back for the season, and the scripts run the usual gamut of superb to solid. While there isn’t perhaps the knockout winner of, say, last year’s festive episode, there remains a good balance of character interaction and fascinating peeks into unusual corners of the MCU while also blending in some more comics-faithful moments for fans of the printed pages.
Bryan Andrews and Stephan Franck return to direct the episodes and the look of the show continues to evolve in subtle ways. Most of the characters will be instantly recognizable, while others, such as Obadiah Stane (voiced here by Kiff VandenHeuvel rather than Jeff Bridges) might take a moment.
There are the occasionally jarring replacements, but on the whole, it’s a satisfying set of voices. Seth Green is great as usual as Howard the Duck, playing perfectly off the energy of Kat Dennings as Darcy. And kudos to Wright who, when given more to do as the Watcher than simply observe and narrate.
Oh, and you won’t tire of hearing Jackson emote the phrase “Mr. and Mrs.… The Duck.”
It’s also fun to hear the likes of Jason Isaacs –– something of a genre titan thanks to ‘Harry Potter,’ ‘Star Trek,’ ‘Star Wars’ and the DC animated appearances he’s put in –– as a powerful cosmic entity whose voice fairly drips with withering sarcasm.
Though it may not quite hit the highs of last year’s festive season run, Season 3 of ‘What If…?’ certainly has enough pleasures to keep fans happy. And though the big finale feels a little predictable at times, it is definitely enough to leave you wishing the company would commission future seasons, especially given how effective the creative team has been in making compelling narratives fit in sub-30-minute episodes.
‘What If…?’ Season 3 receives 8 out of 10 stars.
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What’s the plot of ‘What If…?’ Season 3?
“What If…?” returns in Season 3 for its culminating adventure through the multiverse.
Watch as classic characters make unexpected choices that will mutate their worlds into spectacular alternate versions of the MCU. The Watcher (Jeffrey Wright) will guide viewers as the series traverses new genres, bigger spectacles, and incredible new characters.
(Left) Jeffrey Wright attends the Los Angeles Premiere of MGM’s ‘American Fiction’ at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on December 05, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Stewart Cook/Getty Images for MGM. (RIght) HBO Max’s ‘The Last of Us.’ Photo: Warner Media.
Preview:
Jeffrey Wright is joining ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2.
He’ll play Isaac, a militia leader.
The second season is now shooting.
As work continues apace on the second season of hit video game adaptation ‘The Last of Us’, we’ve been learning about the various people who are joining the likes of stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in the cast for the HBO series.
The latest recruit for the show is Jeffrey Wright, who needs little introduction at this point, but already has a history with the game itself –– he voiced (and was used for performance capture) of a character called Isaac in ‘The Last of Us Part II’.
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What’s the story of ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2?
Pedro Pascal in ‘The Last of Us.’ Photo: Warner Media.
‘The Last of Us’ takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, played by Pascal, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie (Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heartbreaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.
Producers/Showrunners Craig Mazin (‘Chernobyl’) and Neil Druckmann (creator of the original game) have yet to detail exactly what the new season will cover.
The first season of ‘The Last of Us’ covered much of games ‘The Last of Us Part I’ and ‘The Last of Us: Left Behind’, which means it is likely that Season 2 will cover at least part of ‘The Last of Us Part II’. There is also potential for it to cover some of the time between Part I and Part II, as there is a five-year time jump in the video game. Ellie, 14 in Part I and Left Behind, is 19 in Part II, and she and Joel have been living in Jackson since they left the Fireflies in Salt Lake City.
Mazin has said that because of its size, Season Two will only adapt part of the second game.
Who is Isaac in the world of ‘The Last of Us’?
Wright’s Isaac in the game is the quietly powerful leader of a large militia group, known as the Washington Liberation Front, who sought liberty but instead has become mired in an endless war against a surprisingly resourceful enemy.
Wright is the second actor to reprise his own voice role, after Merle Dandridge did the same for her character Marlene in Season 1.
When will ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 be on screens?
HBO has yet to indicate when the show will return, but given the production schedule and heavy effects load, the company has already warned fans not to expect the new season before 2025.
The sequel to ‘The Batman’ will now be released in 2026.
Matt Reeves is once again directing.
Beyond Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne, the cast has yet to be confirmed.
Those who have been eagerly awaiting director Matt Reeves’ sequel to his darkly gritty take on the Caped Crusader, ‘The Batman’, will have to be more patient.
Warner Bros. has announced that the new movie will not now be released on October 3rd, 2025, but instead heads back a year to October 2nd, 2026.
Part of the reason for the delay is that the ‘Batman’ sequel has reportedly just begun filming, and that Reeves has been at work on the script with Peter Craig and Mattson Tomlin. The shift from a potential shoot last year means that the production has had to wait for soundstages to be available.
Robert Pattinson is returning as Bruce Wayne, AKA Batman, though there has been little confirmation of any other casting –– Jeffrey Wright has said he’ll be back as Commissioner Jim Gordon, while we’d predict Andy Serkis once more playing loyal Wayne family butler Alfred.
The plot, however, is a mystery, and the villain for the new movie has yet to be revealed.
Also, while the film is considered an “Elseworlds” title and not directly connected to the new DC movie universe, the delay means that James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ will get a clear shot at launching the fresh DCU on the big screen with its July 11th, 2025, release date.
This delay for ‘The Batman Part II’ hasn’t yet impacted TV spin-off ‘The Penguin’, which sees Colin Farrell playing crime boss Oswald Cobblepot. That show is still due to arrive later this year on streaming service Max.
With the new ‘Batman’ movie on the move, there is a hole in Warner Bros.’ schedule. The studio has now given that October 3rd, 2025, slot to ‘The Bride!’ (yes, it apparently does have an exclamation mark at the end of its total), the take on ‘Frankenstein’ to be directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal and starring Christian Bale, Jessie Buckley and Peter Sarsgaard.
Opening in theaters in limited release on December 15th and expanding wide on December 22nd, ‘American Fiction’ is one of the canniest and funniest satires to land in theaters for a long time.
Rooted in an assured, well-observed script adapted itself from a great book, Cord Jefferson’s feature directorial debut has a captivating lead performance from Jeffrey Wright, surrounded by a cadre of actors from which there are no false notes.
The subject of race in America and the wider world can often be a tricky one to tackle; and while that’s certainly the driving force in the movie, it’s one that it handles with such surety and creativity that you come away from the experience impressed and satisfied.
Percival Everett’s novel ‘Erasure’ was fueled by an incisive, angry look at how the Black experience can be commodified and packaged for guilt-ridden white audiences –– the better for it to be accepted into wider, whiter society.
That’s an even trickier narrative to make work in a movie, so Cord Jefferson –– who has form writing on shows such as ‘Watchmen’, ‘The Good Place’ and ‘Master of None’ but hadn’t directed a film before –– is to be lauded for how effectively he does it. ‘American Fiction’ might occasionally fall into the odd indie movie trope, but that doesn’t diminish its power or entertainment value.
Having worked in various writers’ rooms, Jefferson knows his way around an astute screenplay, and here he channels Everett’s book while also finding his own voice. The writing is witty and keenly observed, but it’s not all about the central premise –– the family story running alongside it (and sometimes taking prominence in the life of main character Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, (played by Jeffrey Wright) is given plenty of space and time to becoming just as involving.
As a director, Jefferson mostly lets his characters do the heavy lifting, aside from a couple of worthwhile meta sequences where creations come to life or the end of the film is edited and workshopped by two characters, this has an unassuming visual palette that gives the story prominence.
One or two moments do slip into standard indie movie style –– shots of characters contemplating their situation on a beachfront path as seagulls cry in the distance, waves lap the land and Laura Karpman’s score goes full ‘Charlie Brown Christmas’ jingly jazz don’t help matters, but they are few and far between.
Much more successfully is how Jefferson has brought out the best in his cast, which we suppose isn’t too difficult given a cast this wonderful, but still counts for a lot.
Jeffrey Wright owns ‘American Fiction’, absolutely proving he’s one of the best actors of his generation, albeit one who doesn’t always get the chance to prove that (which just shows you why the conceit of the movie is worth exploring).
Here, Wright feasts on the role of Monk, giving life to Jefferson’s script in nuanced, creative and emotionally satisfying fashion. An intellectual author who teaches privileged, issues-led students at a Los Angeles college to make ends meet between publishing highbrow fiction (he’s shocked when he sees his work filed in the “African American” section and insists it be moved elsewhere, only to be informed by a nervy shop assistant that that’s not how chain stores work).
Monk is a fully realized, superbly rounded character, one who soon learns what he’s always feared; that he’s slowly pushed everyone and everything in his life away and is painfully lonely, even as he covers it with intelligent frustration. This is a funny, flawed, human man with many foibles tarring his intelligence. When he decides to write the ultimate “Black experience” book to poke fun at the sort of material that white publishers lap up, his career becomes much more successful, even as he’s terrified of what it all means, and his life slowly starts to spiral out of control.
But this is no monologue, and Jefferson has cast so very well around Wright that it’s hard to pick out the best of the ensemble. When you have the likes of Sterling K. Brown, Keith David, Tracee Ellis Ross, Leslie Uggams, Issa Rae and John Ortiz in fully fleshed out supporting roles, you know you’re in good hands. Everyone shines, helping to build Jefferson’s world and filling it with watchable moments.
‘American Fiction’ features a book awards ceremony at one point, and the voting process for the tomes that end up making it to the dais could well be read as a dig at the Oscars’ proclivity for movies such as 2004’s ‘Crash’ that claim to have insight on race relations.
Yet as a movie itself, the film is good enough to be in consideration for categories such as Best Actor (for Wright), Best Adapted Screenplay (for Jefferson) and more. It might be dealing with a difficult subject, but it makes the whole endeavor look easy. As film directing debuts go, Cord Jefferson scores a real winner, and I can’t wait to see what he does next.
‘American Fiction’ receives 8.5 out of 10 stars.
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What’s the story of ‘American Fiction’?
In ‘American Fiction’, Jeffrey Wright stars as Monk, a frustrated novelist who is fed up with the establishment profiting from “Black” entertainment that relies on tired and offensive tropes.
To prove his point, Monk uses a pen name to write an outlandish “Black” book of his own, a book that propels him to the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain.
Who else is in ‘American Fiction’?
Around Wright, the cast includes Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, Keith David, Issa Rae and Sterling K. Brown.
(L to R) Jake Ryan, Jason Schwartzman and Tom Hanks in director Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features.
For his latest, ‘Anderson’ is working on two levels. The first is the production of a play called ‘Asteroid City’, written by playwright Conrad Earp (Edward Norton). His new stage production is itself the subject of a TV documentary fronted by Bryan Cranston’s unnamed host, which is peeking into the creative process behind the work.
We watch some of the cast outside the play, and Earp at work on the script, before sets are built and other actors are introduced. Then the movie itself follows the story of the play, introducing us to war photographer Augie Steenbeck (Jason Schwartzman), who is bringing son Woodrow (Jake Ryan) to the titular desert town to take part in a Junior Stargazers event when his car develops trouble.
Steenbeck, who is recently widowed, calls his father-in-law, Stanley Zak (Tom Hanks) to pick up Woodrow and Auggie’s three daughters (who have yet to learn the news of their mother’s passing), and makes the most of the situation.
Asteroid City is hosting the Stargazers’ event partly because it is the site of an asteroid that landed 5,000 years ago and has attracted various characters to its dusty locale. The event, incidentally, is interrupted by the arrival of an alien, who takes the asteroid.
Steve Carell in director Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features.
Who else is in ‘Asteroid City’?
In true Anderson style, the director has tapped many from his recurring roster of actors besides Schwartzman. Scarlett Johansson plays Midge Campbell, Jeffrey Wright is General Grif Gibson, Tilda Swinton is Dr. Hickenlooper, Adrien Brody is Schubert Green, Tony Revolori is Gibson’s
Aide-de-Camp, while Jeff Goldblum plays a role we won’t reveal here.
New to one of his films this time is Hanks plus Steve Carell (as a motel manager), Maya Hawke (as a teacher overseeing school students) and Margot Robbie (as the actress who was to have played Auggie’s late wife in flashback scenes cut from the play).
Writer/director Wes Anderson on the set of ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Roger Do Minh/Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features
Andersonian style
At this point, we all know what to expect from a Wes Anderson films. He has such an established style that he’s been parodied many times. And if you’re expecting a giant switch in terms of the visuals here, you will be disappointed. Likewise, his arch, dialogue-heavy tone is also on full display.
Anderson is a singular director, and if you buy into the vibe and feel of his movies, you’ll have a good time with ‘Asteroid City’. He’s created another set of memorable characters and an engaging locale for them to inhabit. And the idea of the play wrapping makes this stand out compared to the relative disappointment of ‘The French Dispatch’, which suffered from its split storyline.
(L to R) Grace Edwards as Dinah, Scarlett Johansson as Midge Campbell and Damien Bonnaro as Bodyguard/Driver in writer/director Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features.
It helps that the director’s usual company are past masters at delivering his dialogue (here written by Anderson from a story by him and regular collaborator Roman Coppola) and bringing the characters to life.
Johansson (marking her second Anderson movie after voicing a character in ‘Isle of Dogs’) fits in well with the usual crowd, bringing a dual role to life. She plays the actress hired to take the role of Midge Campbell, a movie star who becomes something of a focal point for Auggie. Hanks also blends seamlessly into this world as Auggie’s stern (but not cold-hearted) in-law, a rich man with little time or patience for nonsense.
Bryan Cranston stars as “Host” in writer/director Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features.
Cranston doesn’t have as much to do as the host, but he does fulfill the role with gravitas, while Norton is great as Earp, a troubled sort with a tragic fate.
But despite the large ensemble, this is truly Schwartzman’s film, and the Anderson veteran is more than up to the task of keeping Auggie feeling like a relatable human being amidst all the idiosyncrasy. His relationship with Woodrow is also well-defined, while Ryan is a nervy, yet still likable teen struggling with a mixture of genius and stirring hormones, the latter helped along by the presence of Midge’s daughter Dinah (Grace Edwards).
Around them, there are fun turns from Carell (whose motel manager is obsessed with vending machine and guests’ juice choices) and Wright’s general, who has to deal with endless governmental orders and gives enjoyably rambling speeches.
(L to R) Fisher Stevens, Jeffrey Wright, Tony Revolori, and Bob Balaban in director Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features.
Space oddities
There are a few issues with the film, though they don’t affect its impact too much. Some of the cast have so little to do (Willem Dafoe, for example, whose role is essentially a wordless cameo) that you have to think they only turned up to do the director a favor and that their parts might have been better played by unknown actors. Others, such as Swinton, make the most of smaller roles, but are offered little in the way of depth or story.
And there is, of course, the divisive nature of Anderson’s output –– if you find his movies lacking heart and substance, then we can’t really recommend checking out his latest for all the reasons that devotees will enjoy it. And there are some elements, such as a roadrunner puppet, that deserves more screentime (the roadrunner does at least get his due during a fun musical sequence that plays over the end credits).
Still, there is a lot to like about ‘Asteroid City’, its quirks never overriding its charms. There are human stories to be found here, and some entertainingly out-there sci-fi moments to help Anderson newcomers settle into the place and time.
‘Asteroid City’ receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.
(L to R) Writer/director Wes Anderson, actor Jason Schwartzman and actor Tom Hanks on the set of ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Roger Do Minh/Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features.
(L to R, Top Row) Rupert Friend, Hope Davis, Bryan Cranston, Adrien Brody, and Maya Hawke. (L to R, Bottom Row) Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Jeffrey Wright, Jason Schwartzman, Jake Ryan and filmmaker Wes Anderson.
Director Wes Anderson has accrued, over the course of his career, 15 Academy Award nods and 10 Golden Globe nominations for his work. His films — known for their mannered, eccentric sincerity, underplayed emotions, and symmetrical compositions against diorama-style backgrounds — have also evolved into almost their own genre.
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His 11th big-screen effort, ‘Asteroid City,’ recently enjoyed its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. The movie takes place in a fictional desert town circa 1955, where the carefully planned weekend itinerary of a junior scholastic achievers group — organized to bring together gifted teenagers interested in science and technology — is interrupted by the arrival of an outer space alien.
A government-mandated lockdown ensues. Against this backdrop, war photographer and newly single father of four Augie Steenbeck (Jason Schwartzman) meets Midge Campbell (Scarlett Johansson), an actress simultaneously accompanying her daughter and researching a new role.
The additional wrinkle? This entire story is actually framed as a stageplay, whose creation and casting is being explored as part of an anthology TV series narrated by a buttoned-up host (Bryan Cranston).
Here are 10 things we learned from the ’Asteroid City’ press conference, edited for clarity and length.
1. ‘Asteroid City’ Began as a Mash-Up of Three Ideas, Set in an Automat
Writer/director Wes Anderson on the set of ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Roger Do Minh/Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features
The film’s desert setting seems integral to both its telling, and the contrast that Anderson sought to develop and explore within his split narrative. But that wasn’t always the case.
Wes Anderson: For me, starting a movie, starting to write a script, is usually not one idea for it. It’s a couple of ideas — two or three things. Roman Coppola and I created this thing together, and I would say on this one the three ideas were that we wanted to write a part for Jason Schwartzman at the center of a movie that would be something he hadn’t done before. So that was number one. We didn’t really know what it was, but we sort of had a few notions about what this character was going through. The second thing was we were interested in the setting of 1950s kind of New York theater, or a golden age of Broadway-ish thing. In this case, sort of the Actors Studio variety of it. And the other thing was we thought we’d tell a story of the play they’re putting on. And the original thing was a play called ‘Automat,’ and it was gonna all be (set) in this automat. And then we sort of decided, you know, that’s too small. So we expanded it just to the desert. And I guess it then became something like this interaction of a black-and-white New York stage and a color, CinemaScope-ish western kind of story, where everybody’s both an actor and the role they’re playing, and they kind of mix together.
2. Anderson’s Use of Detailed Animatics Left Tom Hanks Initially Wondering If ‘Asteroid City’ Was an Animated Film
(L to R) Jake Ryan, Jason Schwartzman and Tom Hanks in director Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features.
Hanks first met Wes Anderson 15 years ago in Rome, at a dinner. Though they’d crossed paths some since then, he was surprised to receive a casting solicitation via email — and wasn’t prepared for the animatic which accompanied it, a product of Anderson’s stop-motion animation productions.
Tom Hanks: This came about literally because of a lovely email that said, “Would you like to come and join us?” And I said, “Yeah, sure.” But what is odd is he sends you a version of the movie that doesn’t really need you. The animatic of the film that he put together — which I thought was [Jason’s] voice, because I know they collaborate so much, but it was all just Wes — is incredible. So you see a complete animatic version of the movie, which I watched, and I called him up and said, “Well, I’m in, but I don’t see how you need anybody to do this now.” Because just the animatic looked like ‘Beauty and the Beast’ to us! All this stuff that you hear about turned out to be true. I haven’t seen a Wes Anderson movie that I didn’t wish that I was in, so it was great to be a part of this and the role was great. I think [Wes] used the reference, “We’re looking for a retired Ronald Reagan-type.” And I go, “I’m your man, I can do that.”
3. How the ‘Asteroid City’ Script Was Like a Bag of Halloween Candy
Jason Schwartzman stars in ‘Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City.’
Jason Schwartzman’s career is of course inextricably linked to Anderson’s, having made his film debut in 1998’s highly acclaimed ‘Rushmore.’ A quarter-century later, though, their relationship is still informed by the same dynamics.
Jason Schwartzman: To be able to work with him is a really rare and special thing. And I think the one thing I value the most about our relationship is that it seems like it’s sort of as it was when we first met — like, the second we met, we started talking about music. It’s about sharing things that we were interested in. And I think that over the years, we’ve been through so many different things. But it’s fun to come back and to share the things that you’ve experienced with someone that you know and love. And it’s about going off and having adventures, you know? It’s kind of like Halloween — like dumping out all your stuff, you know, and seeing what you’re interested in. So when I read a script (of his), I’m catching up with my friend in a way too. So I think fundamentally, the idea of enthusiasm and curiosity about something else being out there — that’s, like, the fundamental thing of our relationship. And I think any good relationship, I guess, is letting the other person grow and then bring it back.
4. Yes, Things Got Complicated For the Actors
Scarlett Johansson stars in ‘Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City.’
Almost all the actors in ‘Asteroid City’ have the challenge of playing their main, outward-facing characters, as well as the actors then portraying them. Sometimes, points of real-life reference helped in building out these complex characterizations — including for Scarlett Johannson, who had to play two performers.
Scarlett Johannson: Wes and I talked about and kind of tried to figure out [what] old Hollywood star was the Midge Campbell character. We shared some ideas about what type of a person this could be, or what kind of career she could’ve had. Did she come through the Actor’s Studio? And what did she sound like? And, you know, I mean, I liked Bette Davis, because I thought her career was a good shape. And she felt like, you know, Bette Davis feels, I don’t know — when you watch her, she seems comfortable in the space she takes up. So I felt like that could be a good beginning. And also her voice, actually — she has a little bit of that Mid-Atlantic thing. So understanding where that came from and all that stuff was very helpful.
5. Bryan Cranston Found Inspiration in Rod Serling and Ted Koppel
Bryan Cranston stars as “Host” in writer/director Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features.
If the framing device of ‘Asteroid City’ can seem confusing on the page, the personified glue that holds it together and makes it such an easygoing watch is Bryan Cranston’s emcee. For his role, the actor thought of himself as a venerable newscaster.
Bryan Cranston: This is a movie about a television show that’s doing an expose on a theater piece. That in itself is kind of a Russian doll sort of thing. And then there’s the actors who are also playing (other roles). So when you read that in script form, it can be a little daunting. And whether you’re playing a lead part or a supporting role, you look for your slice — what is my contribution to the story? And in this, my expositional dialogue sets up the structure of what the audience is about to see. There were a lot of names — lots of interesting names that I had to get straight in my head. But I also thought, I should be the one without any emotion. I should just be a blank slate so that people just listen and then follow along and try to key in. Just open up, introduce, and then hand off — I thought that was probably the best thing I could do. So something almost like Rod Serling or Ted Koppel’s voice kept popping into my head — some kind of established journalistic presence is what I was going for.
6. Jake Ryan Won His Role With an Audition Scene on Tape
(L to R) Jake Ryan as “Woodrow”, Grace Edwards as “Dinah”, Ethan Josh Lee as “Ricky”, and Aristou Meehan as “Clifford” in writer/director Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features.
Jake Ryan had worked for Anderson before, in a small role in 2012’s ‘Moonrise Kingdom‘ and later providing a voice in ‘Isle of Dogs.’ But for the crucial role of Woodrow Steenbeck, Augie’s son, the filmmaker auditioned him just like any other actor — and was blown away by his maturity.
Jake Ryan: After ‘Moonrise,’ we’ve sort of kept in touch. [Wes] had me be a part of, like, a bunch of different projects. I would like to think that I had matured a little bit (laughs), and vaguely understood what I was doing at this point. So when I got the audition for this, I mean, he knew me and I knew [Wes and Jason], kind of. But I was just excited to reunite. And after I got the part, I just felt like I wanted to prove to myself that I’ve grown up a little bit, I would say.
Wes Anderson: You know what, can I say, the thing that struck me was, because I have known you for so long, I was like, well, probably this is just gonna be Jake. But we still read people. And Jake had done lots of other good work along the way. But the particular thing was, there’s a scene where you and Scarlett are on this train together. And this scene, I wasn’t really sure who it was even going to be, this understudy (character) — how does he fit in? And you did that one. I said we wanted to do a video of this, and you sent me a video and when I saw it, I said, “Wow, he’s definitely matured.” (laughs) I mean, you really played it like an actor who’s taking a scene and interpreting it, and in control of it. You were very, very good in that one.
Scarlett Johannson: It’s only my favorite scene in the entire movie.
7. Anderson Pushes His Actors, But In a Good Way
Jeffrey Wright stars in ‘Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City.’
According to Jeffrey Wright, Anderson’s eye for detail extends to insert shots, even if he’s not shooting them himself.
Jeffrey Wright: So, you know, you do inserts in films. And usually it’s about, you know, five or ten minutes, a couple of shots, boom, of just inserted objects, and then you’re gone. We did an insert in this film… (laughs) there’s a moment in which my hand touches a holster, flips up the flap, and grips the weapon. That took about 60 takes. Four hours. But I understood why. Now, obviously, it’s not a performance thing for me, but it was really about trying to find a certain cleanliness to the [movement] that we couldn’t quite achieve until — and I’ll give away a little family secret, I guess — we had a prop guy standing to my left, the lens here to my right, my body hiding him. So I flip up the flap on the holster, and the prop guy puts his finger on it, keeps it up. The camera, the frame, is below his finger. And then I slide my hand down, and it worked. But it was really, like, kind of an equation that we had to figure out. And we finally figured it out. It was the wildest, strangest thing. But, you know, I kind of loved finding the answer.
8. Despite This Perfectionism and His Fondness for Animatics, Anderson Is Still Open to Suggestions
(L to R) Writer/director Wes Anderson, actor Jason Schwartzman and actor Tom Hanks on the set of ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Roger Do Minh/Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features.
Again, the incredible specificity of Anderson’s movies gives them a singular feeling. But he’s always up for fresh ideas, too. For Hanks, that included the notion of shooting golf chip shots in the background during the set-up for his character’s introduction.
Tom Hanks: (As one of) the folks that were there for the first time, I wondered if we got to have ideas. I mean, do we get to, like, come in and say, “Hey, you know, I was thinking about this?” So we asked some of the veterans about it. And they said, “Yeah, sure, sure, sure.” And we would, but then [Wes] would say, “Well, we don’t have enough set to shoot that.” (laughs) You know, that would sometimes be something. But I found [Wes] to be just as flexible as anybody would be, provided that you’re not, you know, going south so far out of the realm of what [he’s] going for.
9. ‘Asteroid City’ Reminded Some of Its Cast of Their Theater Days
(L to R) Tom Hanks as Stanley Zak, Hope Davis as Sandy Borden, and Tony Revolori as Aide-de-Camp in writer/director Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features.
Anderson’s meticulously ordered movies evoke such a specific tone and feel that one wonders if they afford actors any freedom, or enjoyment. The answer is yes.
Hope Davis: “The piece that feels theatrical is that it feels very loose, the way my early days in the theater felt — especially when we were rehearsing. We were all jumping around in the desert with air guns in our hands. It had that kind of looseness. You know, moviemaking can be very slow and dull. And this just felt so alive and so playful, so it reminds you why you got into [acting] in the first place for me. You’re finding it in the moment. I mean, some people come in and they know all their lines and they know where they want to go, but most of us, you’re finding it as you go. And I feel like we had the freedom to do that, but we also had the animatic in our heads, so we knew exactly what the frames were going to end up being.”
10. No, Wes Anderson Is Not Breaking Up With Bill Murray
Rupert Friend stars in ‘Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City.’
In the confused timelines of some internet agitators, the absence of Bill Murray, a frequent Anderson collaborator, in ‘Asteroid City’ is a sign that the filmmaker is parting ways with the legendary performer in the wake of a sexual harassment complaint against him on the set of Aziz Ansari’s ‘Being Mortal’ — even though the incident in question occurred in April 2022, many months after Anderson’s film commenced shooting. The truth is that Murray contracted COVID, which prevented him from joining the cast. But he visited the production later during filming, providing a memorable moment for one of its costars.
Rupert Friend: Wes wrote one of his more succinct stage directions in the scene where we have our musical number. It just said, “They dance.” That was it. We kept saying, “When’s the choreographer coming? When’s the rehearsal?” And it was like, “Oh, yeah, another time, another time.” [On the day of shooting] we hadn’t had any of that, and it was just a kind of go-for-it moment. I had a feeling of exuberance, because I remember it was actually an amazing moment. I don’t know if you saw this, Wes, but when we did our thing, I threw my hat in the air, and behind the camera that day, Bill Murray had come to visit set, and he just caught it at that exact moment. It was just perfect.
(L to R) Rupert Friend as “Montana”, Stephen Park as “Roger Cho”, Hope Davis as “Sandy Borden”, Jason Schwartzman as “Augie Steenbeck”, Tilda Swinton as “Dr. Hickenlooper”, Jeffrey Wright as “General Gibson”, Tony Revolori as “Aide-de-Camp”, Bob Balaban as “Larkings Executive”, Mike Maggart as “Detective #2”, Fisher Stevens as “Detective #1” in writer/director Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features.
‘Asteroid City’ takes place in a fictional American desert town circa 1955. The itinerary of a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention (organized to bring together students and parents from across the country for fellowship and scholarly competition) is spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Scarlett Johansson and Jason Schwartzman about their work on ‘Asteroid City,’ what fans can expect from the film and working with filmmaker Wes Anderson.
(L to R) Jason Schwartzman and Scarlett Johansson in writer/director Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Johansson, Schwartzman, Jeffrey Wright, Adrien Brody, Rupert Friend, and Maya Hawke.
Moviefone: To begin with, Scarlett, what would you say to moviegoers sitting down to watch this film to prepare them for the cinematic experience they are about to have?
Scarlett Johansson: What would I say, to prepare them? I don’t know. I don’t like knowing anything about a movie before I go. I just like to go in and be surprised. You just got to let the movie wash over you. I would say be prepared to see it more than once because it’s very dense and complex, and I’ve gotten a lot more out of seeing it a few times. There’s a few movies where I feel like I’ve had that experience. I remember seeing ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ and I remember I saw it and I really liked it. Then the second time I saw it, I really didn’t like it. Then the third time, and now that obviously I’ve seen it many times, I really love it, and I notice different things about it all the time. There’s just some movies that there’s something uncomfortable about them. I think this movie is, at least for me, it’s uncomfortable. So I feel like it’s good to kind of prepare to let it wash over you a few times.
(L to R) Grace Edwards as Dinah, Scarlett Johansson as Midge Campbell and Damien Bonnaro as Bodyguard/Driver in writer/director Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features
MF: Jason, what would you tell viewers to get them ready for Wes Anderson’s latest movie?
Jason Schwartzman: I would say that there’s no wrong way to react to it, which is, I think a fun thing. I’ve watched parts of it with, let’s say my wife and a different person. The reaction to a scene, one person could laugh and the other person could be just really taken aback, or confused, or sad. Both of those reactions are real. I think that’s a really hard place to write and to make things, and to exist in that space is really cool. So yeah, that’d be my only advice is I wouldn’t question whether or not if what you’re feeling or thinking is right. It just goes along with what Scarlett’s saying. It is right. Just go with it. Then it’s what the characters are saying in the movie, so just keep going. Don’t question it. Just live it.
(L to R) Writer/director Wes Anderson, actor Jason Schwartzman and actor Tom Hanks on the set of ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Roger Do Minh/Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features.
MF: Scarlett, obviously you worked with Wes Anderson on the animated ‘Isle of Dogs,’ but what was it like for you to finally work with him on a live-action movie?
Scarlett Johansson: Well, I got to prepare this with him. He sent me this script and I had many months to talk to him about it and share movies and books and stuff like that, and different vocal stuff. I knew Jason was doing some vocal work too, so I tried to just do some prep work on it and make sure that when we got there, that all the pieces were fitting together. I didn’t get that experience on ‘Isle of Dogs’, so that was fun. The character building part of it was exciting and new for me with Wes, and I loved it. I didn’t have any expectations, but I certainly was surprised I guess, that he was so open to collaborating like that and very open. He didn’t have any particular idea of what this person’s background is, or where they came from, but Wes had great suggestions and it was fun.
Writer/director Wes Anderson on the set of ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Roger Do Minh/Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features
MF: Finally, Jason, what was it like for you working with Scarlett on this film?
Jason Schwartzman: Just as the scheduling of it worked out, I was there from the very beginning to the very end. I was even there after Wes left. I have a photo of Wes’ empty hotel room. But I just will say that Scarlett came towards the end of the time there and we were doing these little scenes and I would say that Wes had so much excitement for Scarlett to come and to be there, and just looking forward to her arrival. It was a really great, brand new exciting experience. Then when she did arrive and we started to do these scenes, just the look on his face of being satiated, I guess. He was so truly happy and I could just see how much he’d been waiting and talking about it, and how excited and how much that meant to him.
Scarlett Johansson in director Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features.
(L to R) Evan Rachel Wood and James Marsden in HBO’s ‘Westworld.’
‘Westworld’, which for four seasons has been delighting (and more often confounding) viewers with its complex, twisty storytelling and changing characters since it debuted in 2016, has been cancelled at HBO.
Based on the 1973 film by Michael Crichton (who would go on to employ a similar idea of attractions causing trouble in his novel ‘Jurassic Park‘), ‘Westworld’ –– initially, at least –– told the story of a sprawling Western-themed park where humans could interact with complicated artificial people. And by interact, it usually meant either sleep with or kill.
As the show went on, the canvas expanded to include different zones within the park with their own themes and the futuristic world outside of it, as the “hosts” –– the park’s creations –– broke out of their programming (and their restrictions) and began to plot a takeover of the human sphere.
An initial success –– its premiere drew the channel’s highest viewership since the debut of “True Detective” in 2014, it was initially buzzy, but its appeal began to wane slightly in later years, most notably after a big break in episodes due to the pandemic.
Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Robert Ford in HBO’s ‘Westworld.’
Though HBO offered no official reason for the cancellation, there is already talk that it’s a combination of declining ratings (even without need of advertising revenue), with a precipitous drop between Seasons 3 and 4, and the hefty price tag for the show.
An effects heavy head-scratcher, it featured expansive visuals of futuristic cities, a big cast and lots of artificial beings to bring to life.
It’s no secret that HBO parent company Warner Bros. Discovery has been on a cost-cutting run of late, and while it still has big productions upcoming (such as ‘The Last of Us’), it has clearly decided that ‘Westworld’ was no longer worth producing.
“Over the past four seasons, Lisa and Jonah have taken viewers on a mind-bending odyssey, raising the bar at every step,” HBO said in a statement. “We are tremendously grateful to them, along with their immensely talented cast, producers and crew, and all of our partners at Kilter Films, Bad Robot and Warner Bros. Television. It’s been a thrill to join them on this journey.”
“Making ‘Westworld’ has been one of the highlights of our careers,” Nolan and Joy have remarked. “We are deeply grateful to our extraordinary cast and crew for creating these indelible characters and brilliant worlds. We’ve been privileged to tell these stories about the future of consciousness –– both human and beyond –– in the brief window of time before our AI overlords forbid us from doing so.”
No shade there, then. Nolan and Joy, meanwhile are still at work on visions of the future –– they have a deal at Amazon, where they’re currently producing ‘The Peripheral’ and developing other projects.
Ed Harris as The Man in Black in HBO’s ‘Westworld.’
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