In honor of Anderson’s new movie, ‘The Phoenician Scheme‘, which opens in select theaters on May 30th before opening wide on June 6th, Moviefone is counting down every film of Wes Anderson’s impressive career, including his latest.
Four tales unfold in Wes Anderson’s anthology of short films adapted from Roald Dahl‘s beloved stories, “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar”, “The Swan”, “The Rat Catcher”, and “Poison”.
(L to R) Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody and Owen Wilson in ‘The Darjeeling Limited’. Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures.
Three American brothers (Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, and Jason Schwartzman) who have not spoken to each other in a year set off on a train voyage across India with a plan to find themselves and bond with each other — to become brothers again like they used to be. Their “spiritual quest”, however, veers rapidly off-course (due to events involving over-the-counter pain killers, Indian cough syrup, and pepper spray).
(L to R) Luke Wilson and Owen Wilson in ‘Bottle Rocket’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
Upon his release from a mental hospital following a nervous breakdown, the directionless Anthony (Luke Wilson) joins his friend Dignan (Owen Wilson), who seems far less sane than the former. Dignan has hatched a hair-brained scheme for an as-yet-unspecified crime spree that somehow involves his former boss, the (supposedly) legendary Mr. Henry (James Caan).
The cast of ‘The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou’. Photo: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.
Renowned oceanographer Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) has sworn vengeance upon the rare shark that devoured a member of his crew. In addition to his regular team, he is joined on his boat by Ned (Owen Wilson), a man who believes Zissou to be his father, and Jane (Cate Blanchett), a journalist pregnant by a married man. They travel the sea, all too often running into pirates and, perhaps more traumatically, various figures from Zissou’s past, including his estranged wife, Eleanor (Anjelica Huston).
(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.
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.
A scene from ‘Isle of Dogs’. Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures.
In the future, an outbreak of canine flu leads the mayor of a Japanese city to banish all dogs to an island that’s a garbage dump. The outcasts must soon embark on an epic journey when a 12-year-old boy (Koyu Rankin) arrives on the island to find his beloved pet.
(L to R) Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman in ‘Rushmore’. Photo: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.
When a beautiful first-grade teacher (Olivia Williams) arrives at a prep school, she soon attracts the attention of an ambitious teenager named Max (Jason Schwartzman), who quickly falls in love with her. Max turns to the father (Bill Murray) of two of his schoolmates for advice on how to woo the teacher. However, the situation soon gets complicated when Max’s new friend becomes involved with her, setting the two pals against one another in a war for her attention.
(L to R) Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Bruce Willis and Edward Norton in ‘Moonrise Kingdom’. Photo: Focus Features.
Set on an island off the coast of New England in the summer of 1965, Moonrise Kingdom tells the story of two twelve-year-olds (Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward) who fall in love, make a secret pact, and run away together into the wilderness. As various authorities try to hunt them down, a violent storm is brewing off-shore – and the peaceful island community is turned upside down in more ways than anyone can handle.
Ralph Fiennes stars in ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’. Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures.
The Grand Budapest Hotel tells of a legendary concierge (Ralph Fiennes) at a famous European hotel between the wars and his friendship with a young employee (Tony Revolori) who becomes his trusted protégé. The story involves the theft and recovery of a priceless Renaissance painting, the battle for an enormous family fortune and the slow and then sudden upheavals that transformed Europe during the first half of the 20th century.
George Clooney as Mr. Fox in ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
The Fantastic Mr. Fox (George Clooney) bored with his current life, plans a heist against the three local farmers (Michael Gambon, Robin Hurlstone, and Hugo Guinness). The farmers, tired of sharing their chickens with the sly fox, seek revenge against him and his family.
(L to R) Bencio del Toro and Léa Seydoux in ‘The French Dispatch’. Photo: Searchlight Pictures.
The staff of an American magazine based in France puts out its last issue, with stories featuring an artist sentenced to life imprisonment, student riots, and a kidnapping resolved by a chef.
The cast of ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’. Photo: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.
Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman) and his wife Etheline (Anjelica Huston) had three children (Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Luke Wilson) and then they separated. All three children are extraordinary — all geniuses. Virtually all memory of the brilliance of the young Tenenbaums was subsequently erased by two decades of betrayal, failure, and disaster. Most of this was generally considered to be their father’s fault. “The Royal Tenenbaums” is the story of the family’s sudden, unexpected reunion one recent winter.
In director Wes Anderson’s 11th full-length feature film, ‘The Phoenician Scheme,’Benicio del Toro stars as Anatole ‘Zsa-zsa’ Korda, a wealthy 1950s industrialist who somehow keeps just barely avoiding death as he pursues his greatest venture yet, rebuilding the infrastructure of the obscure region of Phoenicia. To make sure his affairs are in order, Zsa-zsa reaches out to his estranged daughter, a nun named Liesl (Mia Threapleton), to join him on his quest and take over if necessary.
Accompanied by administrative assistant Bjørn (Michael Cera), pursued by assassins, and challenged by a business consortium that hopes to foil his plans, Zsa-zsa and Liesl hit the road to meet with Zsa-zsa’s own network of investors and raise the money necessary to cover the shortfall (‘The Gap’) in his funding. Along the way, Zsa-zsa (sort of) rediscovers his own humanity and begins to repair his relationship with Liesl.
As with all Anderson movies, ‘The Phoenician Scheme’ is a mix of whimsy, deadpan comedy, and emotional truth, set in Anderson’s distinctive, colorful, and surreal world, and stacked with a cast of both Anderson regulars and new players that this time includes Scarlett Johansson, Bryan Cranston, Tom Hanks, Riz Ahmed, Jeffrey Wright, Willem Dafoe, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Bill Murray (as God, of course). Anderson, del Toro, Threapleton, Johansson, Cera, and Cranston were on hand recently for a press conference about the film, and Moviefone was there to get the details.
Wes Anderson says that the movie’s protagonist, business tycoon Anatole ‘Zsa-zsa’ Korda, was based partially on his father-in-law, a Lebanese businessman named Fouad Malouf to whom the movie is dedicated.
Wes Anderson: I had a sort of idea of a tycoon, a Euro-tycoon, like somebody who would’ve been in an Antonioni movie or something. I did have this idea that he was probably hurting, that he was going to be in physical distress. Somehow, that was the image, of this guy who you sort of can’t kill, and he has a very expensive watch, something like that. But in the course of time, it started mixing with my father-in-law, my wife’s father, Fouad, who was an engineer and a businessman and he had all these different projects in different places. He was a kind, warm person, but very intimidating, and he had all his business in these shoeboxes. He walked [my wife] through his work at a certain point, because he thought if he is not able to see everything through, she needs to know what he’s got. And her reaction was what [Mia’s character says] in the movie: “This is just crazy.” So it was a mixture of those two things.
2) The Opening Credits Sequence Was Shot In Slow Motion
For the sequence that plays under the opening credits – a single take filmed from overhead in which an injured Zsa-zsa recovers from his wounds in a bath as a fleet of nurses tend to him – Benicio del Toro says that Wes Anderson proposed a strange way to shoot it.
Benicio del Toro: I sat in the bathtub and Wes walked up to me and he said, “We’re gonna shoot this in slow motion.” And I said, “Oh, cool”…And then he said, “But I need everyone to act really fast.” And now I went, “Wait a second, if we’re gonna act fast and you’re gonna be doing it in slow motion, doesn’t that cancel the slow motion? Let’s do it in normal speed.” And he said, “No, no, no, no, it’s gonna be different.” And then I got to see it after he put it together. We were there for a long time ’cause it was all done in one take. We did it, I don’t know, like, 30 times? It was a lot of moving pieces. There’s a lot of nurses, I think six or seven, they’re doing different things…But basically, I think that when you see it, it’s unique.
3) Mia Threapleton Did A Lot Of Research To Play A Nun
To prepare for her role as Liesl, Zsa-zsa’s estranged daughter who has become a nun, Mia Threapleton dove into studying Catholicism before heading to the shoot at Studio Babelsberg in Berlin.
Mia Threapleton: I had, I think, three months from the time of finding out that I had been offered the job to when I landed in Berlin. So that felt like a good amount of time to just get claws-deep into this as much as I can. Which included, but was not limited to, talking to a deacon of a Catholic church, going to Rome — because I had to go there for a fitting — absorbing as much Catholicism that was there, and reading the Bible, chatting with Wes about portions of the Bible…I did send [Wes] my little to-do list of things that I was doing and he said, “Yes, this all looks very, very good.”
4) This Was Michael Cera’s First Wes Anderson Filmmaking Experience
A new member to the Wes Anderson stable of players is ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’ star Michael Cera, who recalled his initial rehearsals with Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton, and the director.
Michael Cera: It was really the first time we’d all met, and it was just like developing a sense of our little team, our little unit. We did rehearse and we read the scenes, but I mostly remember our lunches together, and just getting our little rhythm going together. For me, it was sort of the first time saying the lines out loud and trying the accent — kind of like lightly getting in, dipping into it slowly. But it didn’t kind of get up to speed until we started, I feel like. And then we just picked our lane.
5) Mia Threapleton’s Veil Originated With Tableware
While doing costume tests for her role as Liesl, who is a nun, Mia Threapleton says she came upon a very unusual inspiration for her veil.
Mia Threapleton: There was some sort of mock nun habit, and some polite little plimsoll shoes, and it was very nice. But the one thing that was missing was a proper veil. I think all we had were nurse’s caps or something like that and [Wes] just was like, nah, it’s not quite right. It was reaching the end of the day, and we were trying to figure out how to make this work. I looked over to the coffee table and there was a napkin from lunch that was not stained with anything, so I said, “Does anybody have any hair pins?” I quickly pinned this thing to my head, and Wes came over and [he adjusted it], and took a photo of it, and that’s apparently where the veil came from.
6) Wes Anderson Creates Characters With Actors In Mind
Over the years, Wes Anderson has assembled a top-shelf troupe of actors who regularly appear in his movies, from Bill Murray to Owen Wilson to Scarlett Johansson (now on her third Anderson outing) to Jeff Goldblum. Anderson says that he (and frequent co-writer Roman Coppola) wrote several parts in ‘The Phoenician Scheme’ with specific performers in mind.
Wes Anderson: The part for Scarlett we did think, okay, if Scarlett will do this, then we had her in mind for that. Bryan and Tom Hanks together, I think the characters partly came out of imagining them as much as it was the other way around. And Benicio too. So, yeah, many of the roles we sort of cast ’em as we go, and I tend to also, as soon as we have the idea, I tend to send the email and say, “this could be like maybe October” or something like that and try to get on the books if they’ll have me.
7) A Wes Anderson Script Requires Time and Concentration To Read
Bryan Cranston says that Anderson’s screenplays are so packed with details and information that a quick read is not only not possible, but not recommended.
Bryan Cranston: Until you see the cartoon, as Wes puts it, the animatic — the full animatic film that he voices all the characters on — until you actually see that, it’s not always clear where he’s going, because the scripts are very dense in detail. There is no skimming in a Wes Anderson-Roman Coppola script. And oftentimes, I go, wait, what was that? If you miss one little bit, it’s not going to track, so you have to really read them carefully to understand. That’s probably why you read it three or four times.
8) Benicio del Toro Wanted To Cut Dialogue – But Couldn’t Figure Out What To Cut
Benicio del Toro is in just about every scene in ‘The Phoenician Scheme’ and delivers reams of dialogue as Zsa-zsa Korda. But when he tried to reduce the amount of lines he had to say, he couldn’t make it work.
Benicio del Toro: There were a couple moments where I went up to Wes and I said, “Well, maybe we can take this dialogue out.” And then I went back to it, and it wasn’t as good. So I had to go up to him and go like, “I think you need to put it back, ’cause we’re passing information that I think you need.” But that’s why I couldn’t join these people every day for dinner. I had to go up into my room and talk to myself, you know?
9) Wes Anderson’s Films Are Not As ‘Calculated’ As They Look
Even though Wes Anderson’s movies all share a look and stylization that makes them easily recognizable as his work, Scarlett Johansson says that within Anderson’s carefully composed framing and designs there is still lots of room for the actors to experiment.
Scarlett Johansson: The blocking may be specific, and the camera moves are specifically what they need to be, and there’s sometimes a timing element to it, which is a little bit more, I don’t want to say restrictive, but it’s just particular, I guess. But then the performances, I think [Wes is] very playful within that, because he’s just enjoying it and encouraging variety. I’ve gotten some questions when we’ve done press for Wes’s films, and it seems that it comes across that everything is so calculated. But I think the actual process of it doesn’t feel that way at all. Maybe, again, because the camera moves are very calculated, and sometimes there’s specific props and all of that stuff, and the edit is very sharp, it gives it a feeling that it’s so calculated, but I don’t think the performances are. If it becomes so calculated it doesn’t work, because then it feels like a schtick or something.
Wes Anderson says that he doesn’t always know what he’s trying to say with his movies, and that it sometimes takes seeing the completed film for him to understand what it’s about.
Wes Anderson: After making the movie and seeing it when we have it all put together, then I think sometimes you realize what you had in mind, but you’re not totally conscious of it. I told my agent my theory, and he was like, “That’s obvious — of course that’s what the movie is. I don’t understand, how could you not know that?” But I didn’t realize it was obvious. I think the whole story of the movie, this whole mission that [Zsa-Zsa] goes on in our movie, he’s being confronted with the possibility of his death again and again. And what he thinks he has is a business plan that he wants to make sure goes through. But I think maybe from the beginning, in a way, his whole business plan is really a mechanism for him to get back together with [his daughter]. He’s acting like he’s making her his successor, and really, it’s more about what’s going to happen between the two of them right now. The business plan almost becomes like a ritual for him to be reunited with his daughter, and in that sense, his plan goes great.
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What is the plot of ‘The Phoenician Scheme’?
Wealthy businessman Zsa-zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro) appoints his only daughter, a nun (Mia Threapleton), as sole heir to his estate. As Korda embarks on a new enterprise, they soon become the target of scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists and determined assassins.
(L to R) Benicio Del Toro, Mia Threapleton and Michael Cera star in ‘The Phoenician Scheme’.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Benicio del Toro, Michael Cera and Mia Threapleton about their work on ‘The Phoenician Scheme’. Del Toro discussed his experience reuniting with director Wes Anderson and what he enjoys about working with him, while Cera talked about what it was like to join Wes Anderson’s company of actors and explore the unique worlds he creates on screen, and Threapleton discussed her character’s estranged relationship with her father and why she accompanies him on his journey.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews.
Moviefone: To begin with, Benicio, can you talk about reuniting with director Wes Anderson after ‘The French Dispatch’ and what do you enjoy about working with him?
Benicio del Toro: Well, I enjoy everything, especially the final product. But the character for ‘The Phoenician Scheme’ is a much more challenging character, full of contradictions, with a hell of an arc that it required a lot of motivation to say the least. It kept me up at night, put it that way, to make sure that I deliver what needs to be delivered day in, day out. But I think that Wes’s foundation as a filmmaker, aside from the fact of the visionary he is, also, he’s an incredible writer. He really is. We were talking about this. The script reads like a novel. You could publish it and it would read like a novel. Usually, I get many scripts, I’ve done many movies, and in many of them, I create the backstory of my character. Here, I think you get the backstory of all our characters that have arcs. Michael’s, Mia’s and me, we all have arcs, but we also get the backstory, which it reads like a novel would do that. So, I think that’s the thing that makes Wes’s projects for me so powerful, beyond just a comedy or a beautiful story. Something that his movies always have, is that you can touch them, but the foundation is a story and the writing, and I think that’s really one of his strengths.
MF: Michael, what was it like for you to join Wes Anderson’s company of actors and have an opportunity to explore the unique worlds he creates on screen?
Michael Cera: It’s such a wonderful group to join. Wes just populates his productions with the most amazing people you can think of, and Mia included in that. It’s so much fun to come in. It’s always an exciting thing about jumping into a project that has this caliber of people working on it, and yeah, the worlds are just so much fun. This movie is an anthology in a way where it’s like the three of us are this unit that hop from story to story, and each one of those was brought to life by the various guest players that would come in for that week or two weeks to work on their sequence and inject a whole new energy and atmosphere into the movie. It was just amazing, and it’s great seeing those people show up and bring that character to life in front of your eyes too, and see what they look like suddenly, and sound like.
MF: Finally, Mia, can you talk about Sister Liesl’s estranged relationship with her father and why she decides to help him on his journey?
Mia Threapleton: I think when we meet her, she has her own reasons for agreeing to meet with him, which are not just because she’s been invited, but she has a lot of unanswered, long time burning questions. Because he’s invited her, I think she realizes, “Okay, he wants something from me. Well, I will acquiesce to this, but I can also get him to give me the answers that I want as well.” So, it’s a little bit like a business negotiation initially, and then by the end of that conversation, I think she realizes, “Okay, actually this is a lot larger than I thought that it was going to be, and maybe he can give me more answers over time. Maybe I’ll find out more information.” I think because of her upbringing within a convent, she literally says it. “I forgive you. We’re taught to.” So, I think there is this forgiving side of her, but I also think that she sees that he is very complex and complicated and wants to understand that more. But perhaps that’s one of the many reasons why she decides to stick it out with this rapscallion, if you will.
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What is the plot of ‘The Phoenician Scheme’?
Wealthy businessman Zsa-zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro) appoints his only daughter, a nun (Mia Threapleton), as sole heir to his estate. As Korda embarks on a new enterprise, they soon become the target of scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists and determined assassins.
After being disappointed by his last outing, ‘Asteroid City’, I’m happy to report that director Wes Anderson has returned to form with ‘The Phoenician Scheme’, which is awkwardly funny and gives off ‘Royal Tenenbaums’ vibes. The movie takes full advantage of Anderson’s unique and quirky humor and is beautiful to look at. Each frame is meticulously designed, and is so breathtaking, it’s like watching at a moving painting.
Benicio del Toro gives a commanding performance as notorious businessman and family patriarch Zsa-zsa Korda, while Mia Threapleton is wonderful in her role as Sister Liesl, Korda’s only daughter and heir to his empire. But its actor Michael Cera that gives one of the best performances of his career as the mysterious Bjørn Lund. Cera is perfectly cast in the role and seems born to be in a Wes Anderson film as his own quirky persona fits the filmmaker’s aesthetic like a glove.
The film begins by introducing us to Zsa-zsa Korda (del Toro), a notorious businessman who has survived several assassination attempts. Fearing that his enemies will eventually be successful, Korda summons his only daughter Liesl (Threapleton) who has recently joined a convent and suspects him of killing her mother. Despite having nine young sons, Korda has chosen Liesl to be his heir and take over his empire. Korda believes that his risky new enterprise, will provide for his family for generations to come.
Korda and Sister Liesl embark on a journey to secure the rest of the funds they’ll need for their venture by visiting acquaintances like Leland (Hanks) and Reagan (Cranston), Marty (Wright), Cousin Hilda (Johansson), and eventually Korda’s brother Uncle Nubar (Cumberbatch), who may be Liesl’s real father. They travel with a mysterious young man named Bjørn Lund (Cera), who becomes Korda’s personal assistant and has feelings for Sister Liesl. Along the way Korda survives several attempted assassinations from an opposing group led by Excalibur (Rupert Friend), each time having a near death experience where he goes to heaven and eventually speaks to God (Murray).
Wes Anderson’s quirky brand of humor is not for everyone, but it is my favorite type of humor. I love absurdly bizarre situations played dead serious, and no one does that better than Anderson. ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’ is my favorite of his films, although I really enjoyed the recent ‘The French Dispatch’, and ‘Phoenician Scheme’ is very similar to ‘Tenenbaums’. Both revolve around an eccentric, arrogant, rich patriarch who struggles with being a father and has delusions of grandeur.
Anderson is a unique and singular director. No one else before him or after has ever made a movie that looks like a Wes Anderson film. Everything you see in a Wes Anderson movie was thought out and meticulously placed. Each frame of his movies is like watching a beautiful moving painting. The gorgeous over the head shot of Korda in a bathtub that runs during the opening credits is a perfect example. Congratulations to Anderson and is production design team for their attention to detail, which makes this film and Anderson’s work in general a visual delight.
The three leads completely carry the film including del Toro, Threapleton and Cera. Benicio del Toro, who first worked with Anderson on the criminally underrated ‘The French Dispatch’ fits in to Anderson’s world exceedingly well. Here he is commanding, purposely over-the-top at times, but also measured, playing deadpan at the right moments and he has excellent chemistry with Threapleton.
In fact, Mia Threapleton is a revelation in this film, not surprising as her mother is the iconic Kate Winslet, and obviously the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. She adapts to Anderson’s style and pacing impressively well, and brings heart and humor to the ridiculous situations her character finds herself in.
Michael Cera, who’s dry delivery was on display in ‘Arrested Development’, ‘Superbad’ and ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’, perfectly fits Anderson’s aesthetic as if the actor was born to be in one of the director’s films. As Bjørn Lund he creates a character that is as likable and sympathetic as he is completely ridiculous. And without giving away any spoilers, the actor is also believable in the character’s surprise turn in the third act.
The returning cast of “Wes Anderson Players” were all welcomed, even if most of their roles only amounted to glorified cameos. Bryan Cranston and Tom Hanks are quite funny as the basketball playing Reagan and Leland, respectively. Jeffrey Wright is equally funny as Marty, electing to adopt a very strange characterization.
Scarlett Johansson, marking her third outing with Anderson, shines like an old school movie star and is excellent in her limited role. Playing the pivotal character of Uncle Nubar, Benedict Cumberbatch is fine but perhaps not as intimidating as the role calls for. Richard Ayoade is very funny as revolutionist Sergio, and Anderson mainstay Bill Murray gives a very dry but hilarious performance as God, of course.
While Wes Anderson’s movies might not be for everyone, ‘The Phoenician Scheme’ is one of his better recent films and is reminiscent of perhaps his greatest movie, ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’. Benicio del Toro, Michael Cera, and Mia Threapleton all give excellent performances, surrounded by a marvelous cast of frequent Anderson collaborators. If you like meticulously beautiful and absurdly funny movies, then this one is for you.
840FXz1A16r7w6COVuUvH
What is the plot of ‘The Phoenician Scheme’?
Wealthy businessman Zsa-zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro) appoints his only daughter, a nun (Mia Threapleton), as sole heir to his estate. As Korda embarks on a new enterprise, they soon become the target of scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists and determined assassins.
(Left) Bill Murray as Frank Cross in ‘Scrooged.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures. (Right) Michael Cera in ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.’ Photo Universal Pictures.
Preview:
Wes Anderson is locking in the cast for his next movie.
Bill Murray, Michael Cera and Benicio Del Toro are the first people added.
Roman Coppola worked on the script with the director.
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
Anderson, who apparently finished the script (working alongside occasional collaborator Roman Coppola) before last year’s writers’ strike, has been keeping the details close to his chest.
“My next feature film will be linear, with Benicio Del Toro in every shot. I can’t tell you much more than that except that it will be about espionage, a father-daughter relationship, and, let’s say, with a rather dark tone.”
With Del Toro already confirmed, Murray is hardly a surprise. He’s worked on nine of Anderson’s movies and bowed out of ‘Asteroid City’ because of a combination of scheduling issues and complaints against his behavior on another movie. It would seem that despite those complaints, Anderson is only too happy to stick by him.
Michael Cera would be a new recruit to the director’s extensive troupe, but we can certainly see him fitting in with the quirky, mannered style that is as much a part of Anderson’s canon as his perfectly composed frames.
Anderson had intended to start shooting the movie last fall, but he had to delay because of the actors’ strike. The plan is now to kick off filming later in the spring.
While this latest project is reportedly going to feature a much smaller cast than the sprawling ensemble of ‘Asteroid City’, we’d expect to learn of at least a few more additions in the coming months.
When will Wes Anderson’s new movie be in theaters?
As of right now, there’s no word on a release date for the movie. Could he have this one done in time for awards season? We’d have our doubts, but anything is possible at this point.
(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.
Martin Scorsese, with his long, successful career, many superb movies and avowed advocacy for both classic and modern cinema, has earned the right to his opinion about the medium.
And he has been vocal in the past about his issues with the movie industry’s focus on superheroes and their associated genre, with billions spent on films from the likes of Marvel and DC at the expense of other output.
Now, sitting down with GQ in advance of his next release, ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’, he’s back on the subject, voicing his concerns about young audiences being indoctrinated into thinking that costumed heroes are the only game in town.
Scorsese on comic book movies as “manufactured content”
(L to R) Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, and Robert Downey Jr. in ‘The Avengers.’ Photo: Courtesy of Marvel Studios.
Here’s what the iconic filmmaker had to say about comic book and other movies:
“The danger there is what it’s doing to our culture. Because there are going to be generations now that think movies are only those —that’s what movies are. I do think that the manufactured content isn’t really cinema.”
And this was his concern about the content, not the people creating it:
“What I mean is that it’s manufactured content. It’s almost like AI making a film. And that doesn’t mean that you don’t have incredible directors and special effects people doing beautiful artwork. But what does it mean? What do these films, what will it give you? Aside from a kind of consummation of something and then eliminating it from your mind, your whole body, you know? So, what is it giving you?”
Martin Scorsese promotes the upcoming film ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ during the Paramount Pictures presentation during CinemaCon, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners, at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on April 27, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Gabe Ginsberg/WireImage.
According to the director, the response is to have filmmakers who make other types of movies “fight back”:
“Which means that we have to then fight back stronger. And it’s got to come from the grassroots level. It’s gotta come from the filmmakers themselves. And you’ll have, you know, the Safdiebrothers, and you’ll have Chris Nolan, you know what I mean? And hit ’em from all sides. Hit ’em from all sides, and don’t give up. Let’s see what you got. Go out there and do it. Go reinvent. Don’t complain about it. But it’s true because we’ve got to save cinema.”
While we’re in complete agreement that cinema needs a boost, particularly in the wake of the pandemic and the strikes, and the fact that many of the studios have poured their resources into the superhero genre (because, partly thanks to Marvel, it has been hugely successful, generating billions of dollars at the box office and beyond), it’s perhaps not as simple as that.
Saying that audiences will begin to think that superhero movies are all that is out there doesn’t match up with history –– after all, there was a time when gangsters were dominating cinema. And musicals. And for years, Westerns were massive, but rarely produced these days (they’ve moved to TV with the likes of ‘Yellowstone’).
The age of the superhero will pass too –– we’ve already seen signs that the genre is not as popular as it once was, on screens big and small.
And while Scorsese spotlights the likes of Christopher Nolan and the Safdie brothers, let’s not forget that Nolan directed threeBatmanmovies (and produced others in the DC universe) and Benny Safdie has made acting appearances in the likes of the ‘Star Wars’ universe.
Also, though it’s totally true that younger audiences in particular shouldn’t go thinking that comic book movies, there is something to be said for them serving as gateways to other genres and cinematic focuses.
After all, haven’t the likes of Scorsese contemporaries such as George Lucas commented on the genre outings that helped get them into moviemaking in the first case? No one wants to watch ‘Flash Gordon’ movies all the time, but they helped inspire some very popular directors.
Didn’t Scorsese himself first get into movies by watching genre material? Unless at age six he was watching long, Polish, black and white dramas set during medieval times.
Who is to say that a young person watching the likes of a Marvel, DC or other offering won’t go on to make a cinematic masterpiece, full of drama and consequence? Yes, they should also be watching work by the likes of Nolan, the Safdies, Greta Gerwig, Wes Anderson and Scorsese himself, but if their interest is sparked does it really matter where they get their start?
Finally, while there are many sub-par comic book and sci-fi efforts (as there are in any genre), it feels disingenuous to suggest that nothing from the genre can have an impact: witness the cultural effect of something like ‘Black Panther’ or the audacious scope of ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and ‘Endgame’, both of which delivered giant emotional moments and represented the culmination of years of carefully crafted storylines with connected characters and movies.
Still, we will never disagree with the notion that Scorsese has a lot of value when it comes to talking about cinema in general.
(L to R) Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ coming soon to Apple TV+.
Adapted from David Grann’s bestseller by Scorsese and Eric Roth and based on a true story, ‘Flower Moon’ is set in Oklahoma in the 1920s when oil brought a fortune to the Osage Nation, who became some of the richest people in the world overnight. The wealth immediately attracted white interlopers, who manipulated, extorted, and stole as much Osage money as they could before resorting to murder.
‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ will be in theaters globally on October 20th before eventually arriving on Apple TV+.
(L to R) Lily Gladstone and Martin Scorsese in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ coming soon to Apple TV+.
(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.
The movie features a series of two-character vignettes that deal with ideas of isolation and perception and was filmed with each actor individually in separate locations, only joining them to their partner’s performance in the editing process.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jason Schwartzman about ‘There There,’ the unusual way it was shot, how that affected him as an actor, trusting the editors, his character, and collaborating with director Andrew Bujalski.
Jason Schwartzman in ‘There There,’ a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo credit: Matthias Grunksy. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.
You can read our full interview with Jason Schwartzman below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Schwartzman, Lili Taylor, Avi Nash, and director Andrew Bujalski.
Moviefone: To begin with, how did you got involved in this project and what was your first reaction to the unique way director Andrew Bujalski wanted to make this movie?
Jason Schwartzman: Well, I should say that I had met Andrew years ago, and we kept in loose touch, and we had each other’s email addresses. My hope was always one day to be able to work with him. I got this email that literally, it said, it was the first time I’d ever seen the word cockamamie written out, which I don’t know why I flagged that, but that was the subject, “cockamamie idea” or something. I opened it and my hope was, “Oh gosh, I hope I opened this and it’s a cockamamie idea of how to work together, not just like a cockamamie some other thing.”
Basically, he put out in one email, “I’m thinking of doing something, making a film in this style. I don’t have it all figured out, the details, but the guidelines are really no crew. Every actor will be on their own and will be responsible for their own portions of the film. Would you be up for doing something like that?” Which, to me, I didn’t know how to play it cool. I mean, that’s what I’ve been waiting for. This is what I love, which is the adventure, and I love him. So, if I can be a part of anything and help him fulfill whatever he thinks is cockamamie, I’m there and I loved it. I loved the idea of it.
I didn’t realize how welcome it was until I got the email because it was October of 2020, and I remember after I got the email, I couldn’t stop moving around. I was just so energized by the idea of it, and by the prospect of it, and going to work with him, having this task to do, and trying to learn these lines and this whole script. It was just so wonderful. I’m so excited.
MF: As an actor, can you talk about the challenges of not being able to act opposite another actor?
JS: I was pretty excited about it, to be honest with you, because acting in movies, it’s so interesting anyhow because it’s edited. You can take someone looking off because they hear something and they’re waiting for a siren to pass or something, and then you can put that here in the movie and it looks like they’re listening to a conversation in the next room. I love that. I love the manipulation of that kind of thing, and transposing reactions and looks into different parts of a movie.
So, this would be the ultimate extreme version of that, which is just like, what would it be like to not react at all, to just do something? I was reacting because I would do the scenes with Andrew, but it was such an unusual process. I can’t describe it, but I loved the challenge of it and I loved the idea of it too.
To be honest with you, I get nervous when I’m acting, and sometimes it’s so embarrassing acting because they’ll say, “Okay, everyone, quiet on the set and let’s watch this person now. Everyone look at this person.” It’s just like, “Please don’t look.” So, I kind of love the idea that no one was looking, and it was almost like an animated film in that sense because it was just me.
I mean, obviously, we had a small group of people helping us and everyone’s time was valuable, but I felt like there was a freedom to try things and to kind of work it out. Because we were on a new territory, it just felt kind of super free and it was wonderful. It got even to the point where I started to do the scene sometimes without even having Andrew do the other lines. I would just pause for the other actors’ lines in my brain and then just keep going, which was kind of an amazing thing.
I love the journey of what that scene is. It starts off between these two people that are by the end of it, really kind of talking to themselves, and then you are listening to yourself, and you’re also not listening to yourself, and you aren’t listening to the other person. It becomes the very thing that it’s experimenting with. Do you know what I mean?
Jason Schwartzman stars in ‘There There,’ a Magnolia Pictures release.
MF: On a project like this, is there a certain amount of trust that you need to put into the editors because that’s really who’s going to be shaping the performances, or is that the same on every film?
JS: Well, I feel like it’s the same on every film just because you don’t know what it’s going to be like. But I think that for me, I still haven’t seen this film but I’m so excited to see it. This will be the first time in my life that I’m going to see a film, and sometimes when you go to see the final product, you have some sense of what it might be like because you were there with the other actors, but with this, I don’t even know what they were doing.
This is the first time I’m going to see a scene. I have no idea. Literally, I was just totally by myself and so it’s so thrilling to see that play out, actually. You know what? It’s a good question about trust. I mean, I just trust Andrew. I love him. Obviously, I think to do this type of thing, I would only really be up for doing something like this with someone like Andrew, who I just think is a great artist and leader. Because I think to a certain extent if you just go out there and do a bunch of stuff and you don’t trust the person, it’s very frightening. But I felt totally comfortable and I think that I was one of the first people to shoot.
So, I enjoyed that we’re all figuring it out, that whatever any hiccups we encountered, they could take note of and then give to the other actors to avoid any such problems when they shoot. I like the idea of being sort of like a tester, like a beta. I liked being the first one to experiment, to be like, “Okay, good to know. These microphones don’t do this. Good to know that when you’ve got this person on an iPad here the internet goes like this.”
I liked how new it was to everyone at the same time. I don’t know why, I just felt there’s a camaraderie in that because it’s kind of what the pandemic was like. So, I liked all going into something with an idea of how it could maybe be, but really, none of us ever doing it before, truly.
MF: The movie deals with isolation, did the way it was shot, and also the fact that it was made during COVID, help you achieve that feeling of isolation?
JS: Well, I think that if you look at just the way we all interact with each other, or talk to each other, it’s such an interesting dance, at least in my case of listening and not listening, and why people say something in the middle of a conversation that takes it in a different direction. With the Zoom and everything, people can be writing stuff, you could be doing a totally different thing. So, that totally came into play, this idea of focus, and listening, and being present with someone because you cannot be. I guess people can fake it, but I also think that you know
Anyway, it became that in such a wonderful way because you’re acting in the scene, and you are, as much as I’m listening to the other lines and trying to do it, I’m also aware that I’ve got to have some kind of consistency to what I’m doing so that they can intercut. So, in the beginning of shooting those scenes, I knew all the lines, but you’re trying to figure out where to be physically and look for these landmarks because there’s going to be so much unknown, like where do we know he definitely should be standing? What can we lock in?
I love that process. Then you are kind of playing but also trying to get it, at least in my case, I wanted to get it consistent to where I was working towards something where not every take was so different, and I was trying to get better and better at it, or faster and faster. In that process, you realize that you are not listening anymore. Because there’s no one there doing the scene with you.
So, there’s no one to stop you from getting to your mark early or picking up a thing early. You start to hit these targets throughout the scene, these goals and say, “Okay, got to get to this thing here.” I think it’s somewhere in that you just begin to talk to yourself and it’s kind of amazing, like I was saying earlier, it totally becomes what the movie’s all about. You’re listening and not listening. It’s the illusion of listening, I suppose. Then it comes full circle where you go back to it and you are like, “Whoa,” then you break through to another place where you all of a sudden are hearing these lines, almost like for the first time.
If you’re learning flashcards, you’re like, “Hmm, that is this. That is that,” then by the end, if you’ve done them for enough, then you just know. You’re like, “Hydrogen. Neon. Oxygen.” You know the next card. But then there becomes a moment after that where you start to go, “Oxygen. Wow, that’s something I never thought about. Oxygen.”
You push through the robotic part of it, almost like a mantra, I suppose. The little I know of that. But like music even, it’s just like you can break through and it was so fun. I mean, I love doing it this way I’m afraid of other actors, I think. I don’t want the other actors to laugh at me and this was perfect for that. No other actor can laugh at you. Just yourself.
Andrew Bujalski, director of ‘There There,’ a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.
MF: Finally, how would you describe your character in your own words? What did you like about him, dislike about him, and what was your approach to getting inside his head?
JS: That’s a great question. I loved, by the way, the process of figuring this out with Andrew, who was so remarkable, and just a great collaborator. The way he talks about the characters and the way he answers questions, it’s as if you really are asking him about someone who’s real. He doesn’t really know, but he’s trying to understand too.
You ask a question. He’s like, “I don’t know. Why would he do that?” It’s kind of like you’re talking about this friend of yours that did something strange and you’re trying to understand why they did it. What could possibly be happening in their personal lives? But to me, the character was really focused on the family aspect of it and I think that in my character’s brain, I’m doing the right thing at all times.
There’s a way his lives supposed to play out and if everyone can just bear with him, it will work out. But if anything becomes disruptive or questioned, it will fall apart because it actually isn’t such a great plan. It’s totally not a way one should conduct themselves and live their life, but he is focused on keeping his family together. So, to me, it was all about just keeping things flowing, good, positive, and stay with me, a kind of confident desperation, if that makes any sense. He’s just very desperate, but makes it seem like you’re the one who’s desperate.
Theatrical one-sheet for THERE THERE, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.
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