Clockwise from bottom left: Before Sunrise (Columbia Pictures), Jaws (Universal Pictures), Y Tu Mamá También (20th Century Fox), Body Heat (Warner Bros.)Graphic: The A.V. Club
Summer can bring about more than just a certain mood evoked by warmer weather. Perhaps more than other seasons, it can bring up specific memories.
Summer can bring about more than just a certain mood evoked by warmer weather. Perhaps more than other seasons, it can bring up specific memories.
- 5/10/2024
- by Jen Lennon, Saloni Gajjar, Drew Gillis, Tim Lowery, Emma Keates, Cindy White, Jacob Oller, and Mary Kate Carr
- avclub.com
Wes Anderson is the singularly talented filmmaker who has quickly gone from indie darling to Oscar favorite in just a little over two decades, creating a number of quirky, visually splendid classics. Let’s take a look back at all 11 of Anderson’s films, ranked worst to best.
Anderson made his directorial debut with “Bottle Rocket” (1996), released when he was just 27-years-old. He received his first Oscar nomination five years later: Best Original Screenplay for “The Royal Tenenbaums” (2001). He followed that eight years later with a Best Animated Feature bid for the stop-motion film “Fantastic Mr. Fox” (2009). Another Best Original Screenplay nomination followed for “Moonrise Kingdom” (2012). Then he hit the Oscar jackpot with Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay nominations for “The Grand Budapest Hotel” (2014) — well, almost hit the jackpot, since he went home empty-handed from those awards, losing all three to Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for “Birdman.” He...
Anderson made his directorial debut with “Bottle Rocket” (1996), released when he was just 27-years-old. He received his first Oscar nomination five years later: Best Original Screenplay for “The Royal Tenenbaums” (2001). He followed that eight years later with a Best Animated Feature bid for the stop-motion film “Fantastic Mr. Fox” (2009). Another Best Original Screenplay nomination followed for “Moonrise Kingdom” (2012). Then he hit the Oscar jackpot with Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay nominations for “The Grand Budapest Hotel” (2014) — well, almost hit the jackpot, since he went home empty-handed from those awards, losing all three to Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for “Birdman.” He...
- 4/27/2024
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Since his first film, Writer/Director Wes Anderson has become known for his highly visual combination of bright colors with an older aesthetic. His costuming and set design have a very specific signature that makes it easy to identify when watching a Wes Anderson movie. With him currently working on a new film, The Phoenician Scheme, which reunites him with his muse Bill Murray, we take a look back at all his feature-length films and try to figure out where they rank. To note, his recent Netflix shorts, including the Oscar-winning The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar aren’t included.
11. The French Dispatch (2021)
The only anthology movie Anderson has done so far, this film details the final issue of The French Dispatch. The paper will be shut down, so the editor brings together his best reporters and storytellers to publish one more edition. Each reporter narrates a section of...
11. The French Dispatch (2021)
The only anthology movie Anderson has done so far, this film details the final issue of The French Dispatch. The paper will be shut down, so the editor brings together his best reporters and storytellers to publish one more edition. Each reporter narrates a section of...
- 4/25/2024
- by Bryan Wolford
- JoBlo.com
Wes Anderson Shares What His Oscar Acceptance Speech Would Have Been, And Why He Couldn't Deliver It
During this year's Academy Awards, at least one longstanding wrong was finally righted. Even as someone who's generally found Wes Anderson's work to be somewhat hit or miss, it's always felt like a serious oversight that the acclaimed filmmaker had yet to win a single Oscar. You're telling me the guy behind "The Royal Tenenbaums," "Moonrise Kingdom," "The Grand Budapest Hotel," and "The French Dispatch" could only muster a grand total of seven nominations over the course of 20+ years? Poppycock, I say!
Well, that ignominious streak finally ended this past Sunday. But while Anderson's long-overdue win came in the live-action short film category for "The Wonderful Life of Henry Sugar," he wasn't even in attendance to accept his award. Some viewers may have interpreted his absence as an intentional thumbing of the nose towards a voting body that hasn't exactly shown him much love over the decades, but...
Well, that ignominious streak finally ended this past Sunday. But while Anderson's long-overdue win came in the live-action short film category for "The Wonderful Life of Henry Sugar," he wasn't even in attendance to accept his award. Some viewers may have interpreted his absence as an intentional thumbing of the nose towards a voting body that hasn't exactly shown him much love over the decades, but...
- 3/12/2024
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
After missing the chance to accept his first Oscar in person, following his win for Best Live-Action Short for The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, Wes Anderson has addressed the circumstances surrounding his absence and what he would’ve said in his speech.
“If I could have been there, I (along with [producer] Steven Rales) would have said ‘Thank You’ to: the family of Roald Dahl; the team at Netflix; Benedict [Cumberbatch] and Ralph [Fiennes] and Ben Kingsley and Dev [Patel] … and more [of the cast and crew],” Anderson stated. “And also: If I had not met Owen Wilson in a corridor at the University of Texas between classes when I was 18 years old, I would certainly not be receiving this award tonight — but unfortunately Steven and I are in Germany and we start shooting our new movie early tomorrow morning, so I did not actually receive the award [in person] or get a chance to say any of that.”
Anderson...
“If I could have been there, I (along with [producer] Steven Rales) would have said ‘Thank You’ to: the family of Roald Dahl; the team at Netflix; Benedict [Cumberbatch] and Ralph [Fiennes] and Ben Kingsley and Dev [Patel] … and more [of the cast and crew],” Anderson stated. “And also: If I had not met Owen Wilson in a corridor at the University of Texas between classes when I was 18 years old, I would certainly not be receiving this award tonight — but unfortunately Steven and I are in Germany and we start shooting our new movie early tomorrow morning, so I did not actually receive the award [in person] or get a chance to say any of that.”
Anderson...
- 3/11/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Wes Anderson was not in Los Angeles on Sunday night to accept his Oscar for Best Live-Action Short Film. But it turned out he had a pretty good excuse. The filmmaker was in Germany, prepping his next film, “The Phoenician Scheme,” which is set to begin shooting (checks pocket watch quirkily) today!
The writer-director-aesthete did send a message via Netflix, the producers of the award-winning “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” one of four shorts based on Roald Dahl stories currently streaming on the platform.
“If I could have been there, I (along with [producer] Steven Rales) would have said “Thank you” to: the family of Roald Dahl, the team at Netflix, Benedict [Cumberbatch] and Ralph [Fiennes] and Ben Kingsley and Dev [Patel] and Richard [Ayoade] and Bob [probably cinematographer Robert Yeoman] and Adam [Stockhausen, Anderson’s long time production designer] and Jeremy [Dawson, producer] and John [Peet, producer] and Jim [yeah, we don’t know] and Rich [not sure] and Jim and Polly [this is probably a shout-out to nm0000985 autoJames L.
The writer-director-aesthete did send a message via Netflix, the producers of the award-winning “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” one of four shorts based on Roald Dahl stories currently streaming on the platform.
“If I could have been there, I (along with [producer] Steven Rales) would have said “Thank you” to: the family of Roald Dahl, the team at Netflix, Benedict [Cumberbatch] and Ralph [Fiennes] and Ben Kingsley and Dev [Patel] and Richard [Ayoade] and Bob [probably cinematographer Robert Yeoman] and Adam [Stockhausen, Anderson’s long time production designer] and Jeremy [Dawson, producer] and John [Peet, producer] and Jim [yeah, we don’t know] and Rich [not sure] and Jim and Polly [this is probably a shout-out to nm0000985 autoJames L.
- 3/11/2024
- by Jordan Hoffman
- Gold Derby
Even an Academy Awards telecast as satisfying as the 96th Oscars has some disappointing moments. From missed speeches to missed opportunities to capitalize on its presenters and a misguided attempt to honor those we’ve lost, here are four of the misfires from the Sunday, Mar. 10 telecast.
Wes Anderson misses his first Oscar win
Yes, many folks were displeased about someone of Wes Anderson’s stature crashing the Best Live Action Short category, but the majority of Oscar voters deemed “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” the best of this year’s nominees. The acclaimed director has seven prior nominations for features “The Royal Tenenbaums,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” “Moonrise Kingdom,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel” and “Isle of Dogs” but had surprisingly never taken home a trophy, so it would have been joyous to see him ascend the Oscar stage, statuette in hand, and deliver a trademark idiosyncratic acceptance speech.
See...
Wes Anderson misses his first Oscar win
Yes, many folks were displeased about someone of Wes Anderson’s stature crashing the Best Live Action Short category, but the majority of Oscar voters deemed “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” the best of this year’s nominees. The acclaimed director has seven prior nominations for features “The Royal Tenenbaums,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” “Moonrise Kingdom,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel” and “Isle of Dogs” but had surprisingly never taken home a trophy, so it would have been joyous to see him ascend the Oscar stage, statuette in hand, and deliver a trademark idiosyncratic acceptance speech.
See...
- 3/11/2024
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
Wes Anderson is officially an Oscar winner, but he wasn’t in attendance to accept his award.
The 54-year-old filmmaker won the award for Best Live Action Short Film for his film The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, which is streaming on Netflix right now.
This was Wes’ eighth nomination after previously being nominated for his movies The Royal Tenenbaums, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Moonrise Kingdom, three noms for The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Isle of Dogs.
So, why wasn’t Wes at the show to accept the award?
Keep reading to find out more…
After Wes‘ award was accepted by the presenters, host Jimmy Kimmel came on stage and commented on the director’s absence, joking that he was not there because “he’s home building a diorama made of corduroy.”
Make sure to check out the complete winners list for the Oscars.
The 54-year-old filmmaker won the award for Best Live Action Short Film for his film The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, which is streaming on Netflix right now.
This was Wes’ eighth nomination after previously being nominated for his movies The Royal Tenenbaums, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Moonrise Kingdom, three noms for The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Isle of Dogs.
So, why wasn’t Wes at the show to accept the award?
Keep reading to find out more…
After Wes‘ award was accepted by the presenters, host Jimmy Kimmel came on stage and commented on the director’s absence, joking that he was not there because “he’s home building a diorama made of corduroy.”
Make sure to check out the complete winners list for the Oscars.
- 3/11/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Chicago – The seemingly middle-of-the-road character actor Bob Balaban has more to his legacy than just a ton of appearances from the 1960s to present in classic films and TV. His Chicago family were pioneers in film exhibition and the movie executive suite during the studio system in the early days of the history of film. It is in his DNA.
The amazing story of Chicago’s Balaban family began soon after they emigrated from Russia. His uncles formed a coalition with Sam Katz to build theaters. The Balaban & Katz brand meant the highest quality movie palaces eventually, the ultimate in the early 20th Century movie experience before television … two prominent theaters still standing are the city-symbolic Chicago Theatre and the still-closed-but-still-standing Uptown Theatre. Bob was born in Chicago, and his father built his favorite theatre icon (as told in the Podtalk below). For the final flourish, his uncle Barney Balaban...
The amazing story of Chicago’s Balaban family began soon after they emigrated from Russia. His uncles formed a coalition with Sam Katz to build theaters. The Balaban & Katz brand meant the highest quality movie palaces eventually, the ultimate in the early 20th Century movie experience before television … two prominent theaters still standing are the city-symbolic Chicago Theatre and the still-closed-but-still-standing Uptown Theatre. Bob was born in Chicago, and his father built his favorite theatre icon (as told in the Podtalk below). For the final flourish, his uncle Barney Balaban...
- 1/9/2024
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Cannes, Venice, Telluride, Sundance premieres each supply two films in top 10 PTA chart for year to date.
Prize-winners and buzzy titles from Cannes, Venice, Telluride and Sundance performed solidly at the arthouse and specialty North American box office in 2023, with particularly strong per theatre averages (PTA).
Data provided by ComScore through December 20 confirm the value of high-profile festival berths as a way of creating audience awareness and engagement.
Cannes selections account for one of the top 10 and one quarter of the top 20 opening weekend PTA scores, led by Wes Anderson’s Competition selection Asteroid City. The ensemble drama opened over...
Prize-winners and buzzy titles from Cannes, Venice, Telluride and Sundance performed solidly at the arthouse and specialty North American box office in 2023, with particularly strong per theatre averages (PTA).
Data provided by ComScore through December 20 confirm the value of high-profile festival berths as a way of creating audience awareness and engagement.
Cannes selections account for one of the top 10 and one quarter of the top 20 opening weekend PTA scores, led by Wes Anderson’s Competition selection Asteroid City. The ensemble drama opened over...
- 12/26/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series spotlighting the year’s most talked-about scripts continues with Asteroid City, Wes Anderson’s latest film that had its world premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
Anderson penned the script with his frequent collaborator Roman Coppola after the two previously teamed on the Anderson-directed The Darjeeling Limited, Isle of Dogs, The French Dispatch and Moonrise Kingdom, the latter of which scored the pair an Original Screenplay Oscar nom in 2023.
The plot is set in 1955 and revolves around the American Southwest desert town of Asteroid City (population: 87), whose famed attraction is a giant meteor crater and observatory. The one-telephone-booth town is playing host to the military and astronomers honoring five Junior Stargazers with awards for their scientific inventions. It’s also the weekend celebrating Asteroid Day, commemorating September 27, 3007 BC, when that Arid Plains meteorite made impact.
It’s also the weekend an alien appears,...
Anderson penned the script with his frequent collaborator Roman Coppola after the two previously teamed on the Anderson-directed The Darjeeling Limited, Isle of Dogs, The French Dispatch and Moonrise Kingdom, the latter of which scored the pair an Original Screenplay Oscar nom in 2023.
The plot is set in 1955 and revolves around the American Southwest desert town of Asteroid City (population: 87), whose famed attraction is a giant meteor crater and observatory. The one-telephone-booth town is playing host to the military and astronomers honoring five Junior Stargazers with awards for their scientific inventions. It’s also the weekend celebrating Asteroid Day, commemorating September 27, 3007 BC, when that Arid Plains meteorite made impact.
It’s also the weekend an alien appears,...
- 12/14/2023
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Luc Besson's "The Fifth Element" certainly has one of the most eclectic casts of any '90s blockbuster. On one hand, you have a variety of established actors. Then-beloved action hero Bruce Willis was the film's centerpiece, propped by British thespians like Gary Oldman and Ian Holm, both of whom had garnered recognition in major Hollywood blockbusters. On the other hand, you have a variety of unknown variables: Milla Jovovich, a young Russian model just getting her start on film; Chris Tucker, a hyperactive comedian slowly on the rise after "Friday," which also just so happened to feature "Fifth Element" co-star Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr., an actor-turned-wrestler-turned-actor-again. Besson's call sheet of obscure talents goes on and on. However, it is exactly the director's ethno-galactically diverse, if often aesthetically disparate, vision for the film that makes the cast of "The Fifth Element" fit surprisingly well together.
By extension, the places...
By extension, the places...
- 12/11/2023
- by Larry Fried
- Slash Film
NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.
Film at Lincoln Center
The films of Kijū Yoshida are now playing in a massive retrospective. Read our piece on him here.
Roxy Cinema
A five-film retrospective of Matthew Modine (read my interview here) takes place this weekend, including work by Abel Ferrara, Alan Rudolph, and the man himself.
Museum of the Moving Image
A career-spanning Todd Haynes retrospective begins, with the director present on Friday and Saturday; Robert Altman’s Popeye plays on 35mm this Saturday and Sunday.
Museum of Modern Art
A massive Ennio Morricone retrospective begins, this weekend bringing Sergio Leone’s Dollars trilogy.
Anthology Film Archives
The films of Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project are screening, while Joseph Cornell, Tony Conrad, and Bruce Conner programs run in Essential Cinema; a Hollis Frampton retrospective is also underway.
Film Forum
Michael Powell’s career-killing masterwork Peeping Tom plays in a long-overdue restoration,...
Film at Lincoln Center
The films of Kijū Yoshida are now playing in a massive retrospective. Read our piece on him here.
Roxy Cinema
A five-film retrospective of Matthew Modine (read my interview here) takes place this weekend, including work by Abel Ferrara, Alan Rudolph, and the man himself.
Museum of the Moving Image
A career-spanning Todd Haynes retrospective begins, with the director present on Friday and Saturday; Robert Altman’s Popeye plays on 35mm this Saturday and Sunday.
Museum of Modern Art
A massive Ennio Morricone retrospective begins, this weekend bringing Sergio Leone’s Dollars trilogy.
Anthology Film Archives
The films of Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project are screening, while Joseph Cornell, Tony Conrad, and Bruce Conner programs run in Essential Cinema; a Hollis Frampton retrospective is also underway.
Film Forum
Michael Powell’s career-killing masterwork Peeping Tom plays in a long-overdue restoration,...
- 12/1/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City” is a nesting doll of a film—a television broadcast of a documentary about a play, assembled with the same precision and detail as Anderson’s “The Royal Tenenbaums,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel” and “The French Dispatch” among others. Thematically, the connective tissue between its layers of reality, like many of those earlier films, is the notion and processing of loss. But Anderson, who co-wrote the movie with longtime collaborator Roman Coppola, says one of his longtime leading men inspired him to assemble its pieces in the first place.
“The movie ends up being about grief, but it evolved into that,” Anderson tells Variety. “Roman Coppola and I started this one with the idea that we wanted to build something around a role for Jason Schwartzman.”
He and Schwartzman, one of Coppola’s cousins, have worked together since he cast the then-young actor as precocious,...
“The movie ends up being about grief, but it evolved into that,” Anderson tells Variety. “Roman Coppola and I started this one with the idea that we wanted to build something around a role for Jason Schwartzman.”
He and Schwartzman, one of Coppola’s cousins, have worked together since he cast the then-young actor as precocious,...
- 11/18/2023
- by Todd Gilchrist
- Variety Film + TV
Test screenings are always stressful, but especially so when it’s your first film. And while most of us all love the entire oeuvre of Wes Anderson, his debut, 1996’s Bottle Rocket, was far from being perceived as the classic it is today. As Kumar would say, Wes Anderson blew it, man.
Speaking at the Lumière Film Festival, Wes Anderson recalled the confidence that came along with being green in the movie industry – although it may have played a role in the initial public reaction of Bottle Rocket. “I had an idea of what I wanted to do, and no one could convince me that we shouldn’t do it, my confidence was the highest, then. When we finally made it and showed it to an audience, they hated it. I was so shocked, it was a disaster.”
Still, that fateful Bottle Rocket screening proved to be a pivotal moment for Wes Anderson.
Speaking at the Lumière Film Festival, Wes Anderson recalled the confidence that came along with being green in the movie industry – although it may have played a role in the initial public reaction of Bottle Rocket. “I had an idea of what I wanted to do, and no one could convince me that we shouldn’t do it, my confidence was the highest, then. When we finally made it and showed it to an audience, they hated it. I was so shocked, it was a disaster.”
Still, that fateful Bottle Rocket screening proved to be a pivotal moment for Wes Anderson.
- 11/1/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Summer is long gone and it’s time to look beyond the blockbuster. Our latest study of recent books about or related to the world of filmmaking is full of artistic titans––Sofia Coppola, Whit Stillman, Clint Eastwood, Christian Petzold, Kore-eda Hirokazu, Wes Anderson. This column also boasts a lengthy rundown of noteworthy novels, many of which will surely be brought to large and small screens in years to come.
Archive by Sofia Coppola (MacK)
In recent years this column has covered several books focused on the iconic, inimitable Sofia Coppola, including a hardcover career overview and interview collection. Archive is constructed from the personal collection of the writer-director of The Virgin Suicides and Marie Antoinette herself. And as one would expect from a filmmaker known for her sense of style, fashion, and design, the result is positively gorgeous. It is packed with photos, ephemera, collages, and text––nearly 500 pages’ worth.
Archive by Sofia Coppola (MacK)
In recent years this column has covered several books focused on the iconic, inimitable Sofia Coppola, including a hardcover career overview and interview collection. Archive is constructed from the personal collection of the writer-director of The Virgin Suicides and Marie Antoinette herself. And as one would expect from a filmmaker known for her sense of style, fashion, and design, the result is positively gorgeous. It is packed with photos, ephemera, collages, and text––nearly 500 pages’ worth.
- 10/18/2023
- by Christopher Schobert
- The Film Stage
To celebrate the release of Asteroid City, available to own with all-new bonus content on Digital from September 11 and on Blu-Ray and DVD on September 25, 2023 we are giving away a Blu-Ray and Wes Anderson Signed Poster to 1 lucky winner!
A fictional American desert town, circa 1955. Junior Stargazers and Space Cadets from across the country assemble for the annual Asteroid Day celebration — but the scholarly competition is spectacularly upended by world-changing events. Equal parts comedy, drama, and romance (with a touch of science-fiction).
Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, and Tom Hanks star in comedy Asteroid City. Written and directed by seven-time Oscar® nominee Wes Anderson, Asteroid City on Digital, Blu-ray and DVD showcases brand-new featurettes with exclusive talent and filmmaker interviews that dive deeper into the film’s unique characters, story, and themes of community and curiosity, lifting the curtain on Anderson’s extraordinary vision.
Please note: This competition is open to UK residents only.
A fictional American desert town, circa 1955. Junior Stargazers and Space Cadets from across the country assemble for the annual Asteroid Day celebration — but the scholarly competition is spectacularly upended by world-changing events. Equal parts comedy, drama, and romance (with a touch of science-fiction).
Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, and Tom Hanks star in comedy Asteroid City. Written and directed by seven-time Oscar® nominee Wes Anderson, Asteroid City on Digital, Blu-ray and DVD showcases brand-new featurettes with exclusive talent and filmmaker interviews that dive deeper into the film’s unique characters, story, and themes of community and curiosity, lifting the curtain on Anderson’s extraordinary vision.
Please note: This competition is open to UK residents only.
- 9/17/2023
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Wes Anderson, the acclaimed director of The Grand Budapest Hotel, Moonrise Kingdom, and The French Dispatch, is revisiting the world of Roald Dahl, the beloved author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, and The Bfg. Anderson is adapting four of Dahl’s short stories into four short films that will premiere on Netflix later this month.
The first trailer for The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Ralph Fiennes, was released on September 14. The film is based on the 1977 short story of the same name, which tells the tale of a wealthy man who learns to see without his eyes and uses his newfound ability to cheat at gambling. Cumberbatch plays Henry Sugar, while Fiennes plays Roald Dahl himself, who narrates the story. The film also features Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, Rupert Friend, and Richard Ayoade in dual roles.
Wonderful Story Trailer
Anderson said he had...
The first trailer for The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Ralph Fiennes, was released on September 14. The film is based on the 1977 short story of the same name, which tells the tale of a wealthy man who learns to see without his eyes and uses his newfound ability to cheat at gambling. Cumberbatch plays Henry Sugar, while Fiennes plays Roald Dahl himself, who narrates the story. The film also features Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, Rupert Friend, and Richard Ayoade in dual roles.
Wonderful Story Trailer
Anderson said he had...
- 9/14/2023
- by amalprasadappu
- https://thecinemanews.online/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/IMG_4649
‘The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar’ Trailer: Roald Dahl Short Is Wes Anderson at His Most Inventive
Wes Anderson‘s “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” is the “Asteroid City” and “Moonrise Kingdom” director at his most visually inventive — and most fetishistic toward the pleasures of devices like dioramas, rear-screen projection, and fourth-wall-breaking in its adaptation of a collection of Roald Dahl shorts.
And “Henry Sugar,” which premiered out of competition at the Venice Film Festival, is the first of four Roald Dahl shorts Anderson has crafted, all of which he’s filmed. This one stars Ralph Fiennes, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dev Patel, Sir Ben Kingsley, and Richard Ayoade, and centers on a rich man who learns about a guru who can see without using his eyes and then sets out to master the skill in order to cheat at gambling. IndieWire’s David Ehrlich called it “37 minutes of pure bliss.”
Anderson spoke about his upcoming Roald Dahl films while in Venice to receive the Cartier Glory to...
And “Henry Sugar,” which premiered out of competition at the Venice Film Festival, is the first of four Roald Dahl shorts Anderson has crafted, all of which he’s filmed. This one stars Ralph Fiennes, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dev Patel, Sir Ben Kingsley, and Richard Ayoade, and centers on a rich man who learns about a guru who can see without using his eyes and then sets out to master the skill in order to cheat at gambling. IndieWire’s David Ehrlich called it “37 minutes of pure bliss.”
Anderson spoke about his upcoming Roald Dahl films while in Venice to receive the Cartier Glory to...
- 9/14/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
The film world's favorite persnickety stylist, Wes Anderson, is back! Already! Anderson's most recent feature film, "Asteroid City," premiered in wide release just three months ago. It garnered rave reviews (Lex Briscuso wrote in these very pages that the film is "a top-tier Wes Anderson original that brings back the carefree fun and charm of some of his best works") and continues to be a box office force to be reckoned with, which is more or less par for the course for Anderson.
But eager Andersonians won't have to wait two to three years for the next one. A dazzling new adventure from the mind behind "Moonrise Kingdom" and "The Royal Tenenbaums" lies right around the corner. On September 27, Anderson will premiere a new short film on Netflix titled "The Wonderful Life of Henry Sugar." In fact, September 27 doesn't just mark the premiere of a new Anderson film, it's...
But eager Andersonians won't have to wait two to three years for the next one. A dazzling new adventure from the mind behind "Moonrise Kingdom" and "The Royal Tenenbaums" lies right around the corner. On September 27, Anderson will premiere a new short film on Netflix titled "The Wonderful Life of Henry Sugar." In fact, September 27 doesn't just mark the premiere of a new Anderson film, it's...
- 9/14/2023
- by Ryan Coleman
- Slash Film
The 10th Annual Hunger Games kicks off in theaters on November 17 with the release of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes! To celebrate the return of the dystopia created by Suzanne Collins, Lionsgate is debuting the Hunger Games prequel character posters featuring pivotal players in the game of life or death.
The Hunger Games prequel character posters (below) bring several of the film’s primary cast to the stage, including Rachel Zegler (West Side Story) as Lucy Gray Baird, Tom Blyth (Robin Hood) as Coriolanus Snow, Hunter Schafer (Euphoria) as Tigris Snow, Peter Dinklage (The Toxic Avenger) as Casca Highbottom, Viola Davis (The Suicide Squad) as Dr. Columinia Gaul, Jason Schwartzman (Moonrise Kingdom) as Lucretius’ Lucky’ Flickerman, and Josh Andrés Rivera (Cat Person) as Sejanus Plinth.
Each poster highlights a character from the upcoming prequel, standing proudly among a tangle of golden songbirds, snakes, and foliage. While everyone dresses to impress,...
The Hunger Games prequel character posters (below) bring several of the film’s primary cast to the stage, including Rachel Zegler (West Side Story) as Lucy Gray Baird, Tom Blyth (Robin Hood) as Coriolanus Snow, Hunter Schafer (Euphoria) as Tigris Snow, Peter Dinklage (The Toxic Avenger) as Casca Highbottom, Viola Davis (The Suicide Squad) as Dr. Columinia Gaul, Jason Schwartzman (Moonrise Kingdom) as Lucretius’ Lucky’ Flickerman, and Josh Andrés Rivera (Cat Person) as Sejanus Plinth.
Each poster highlights a character from the upcoming prequel, standing proudly among a tangle of golden songbirds, snakes, and foliage. While everyone dresses to impress,...
- 9/6/2023
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Ever found yourself mesmerized by a film’s unique visual language, its storytelling finesse, or its ability to transport you to a whole new world?
Well, you’re in for a treat! As someone who’s been spellbound by the diverse tapestry of cinematic styles, I’m thrilled to embark on this cinematic journey with you.
We’re about to dive deep into the enchanting world of nine extraordinary directors and their unmistakable imprints on the big screen.
First, a Quick Appreciation
Picture this: each director is like a magician, weaving their spell of creativity and vision into every scene, every character, and every twist of the plot.
Their cinematic signatures are like secret codes, inviting us to decode their narrative choices, visual aesthetics, and thematic explorations.
Inspired by a treasure trove of insights, I’m delighted to introduce you to nine directors who have shaped the very fabric of...
Well, you’re in for a treat! As someone who’s been spellbound by the diverse tapestry of cinematic styles, I’m thrilled to embark on this cinematic journey with you.
We’re about to dive deep into the enchanting world of nine extraordinary directors and their unmistakable imprints on the big screen.
First, a Quick Appreciation
Picture this: each director is like a magician, weaving their spell of creativity and vision into every scene, every character, and every twist of the plot.
Their cinematic signatures are like secret codes, inviting us to decode their narrative choices, visual aesthetics, and thematic explorations.
Inspired by a treasure trove of insights, I’m delighted to introduce you to nine directors who have shaped the very fabric of...
- 8/22/2023
- by Pia Vermaak
- buddytv.com
On Friday nights, IndieWire After Dark takes a feature-length beat to honor fringe cinema in the streaming age.
First, the spoiler-free pitch for one editor’s midnight movie pick — something weird and wonderful from any age of film that deserves our memorializing.
Then, the spoiler-filled aftermath as experienced by the unwitting editor attacked by this week’s recommendation.
The Pitch: Is That a Meat Cleaver in Your Pocket — or Are My Parents Just Happy to See Me?
“What were they before they were leftovers?” That’s the dramatic meat hook on which Bob Balaban hangs his giddily middling 1989 horror comedy “Parents,” a surrealist satire set in 1950s suburbia, best likened to a chunky jello mold filled with human toes. I’ll admit, I wouldn’t serve cannibalism cinema this underbaked to mixed company; let alone the hubby’s new boss and his one-scene-having wife. But for the IndieWire After Dark family during ’80s Week,...
First, the spoiler-free pitch for one editor’s midnight movie pick — something weird and wonderful from any age of film that deserves our memorializing.
Then, the spoiler-filled aftermath as experienced by the unwitting editor attacked by this week’s recommendation.
The Pitch: Is That a Meat Cleaver in Your Pocket — or Are My Parents Just Happy to See Me?
“What were they before they were leftovers?” That’s the dramatic meat hook on which Bob Balaban hangs his giddily middling 1989 horror comedy “Parents,” a surrealist satire set in 1950s suburbia, best likened to a chunky jello mold filled with human toes. I’ll admit, I wouldn’t serve cannibalism cinema this underbaked to mixed company; let alone the hubby’s new boss and his one-scene-having wife. But for the IndieWire After Dark family during ’80s Week,...
- 8/19/2023
- by Alison Foreman and Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Wes Anderson will be honored at the 80th Venice Film Festival, which runs Aug. 30-Sept. 9. The U.S. director will receive the Cartier Glory to the Filmmaker Award, which is given to “a personality who has made a particularly original contribution to the contemporary film industry.”
The awards ceremony will take place on Sept. 1 in the Palazzo del Cinema, before the screening of his latest film, “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” starring Ralph Fiennes, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley and Richard Ayoade. The 40-minute movie premieres in the festival’s Out of Competition section.
In the Netflix film, adapted from Roald Dahl’s story, a rich man learns about a guru who can see without using his eyes. He sets out to master the skill in order to cheat at gambling.
Anderson’s films include “The Royal Tenenbaums,” “Grand Budapest Hotel,” “The French Dispatch” and “Asteroid City,” as well as “Rushmore,...
The awards ceremony will take place on Sept. 1 in the Palazzo del Cinema, before the screening of his latest film, “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” starring Ralph Fiennes, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley and Richard Ayoade. The 40-minute movie premieres in the festival’s Out of Competition section.
In the Netflix film, adapted from Roald Dahl’s story, a rich man learns about a guru who can see without using his eyes. He sets out to master the skill in order to cheat at gambling.
Anderson’s films include “The Royal Tenenbaums,” “Grand Budapest Hotel,” “The French Dispatch” and “Asteroid City,” as well as “Rushmore,...
- 8/7/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
His new film ‘The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar’ to premiere at the festival.
US filmmaker Wes Anderson is to receive the Glory to the Filmmaker award at the 80th Venice International Film Festival (August 30 – September 9).
The award is dedicated to a personality who has made a particularly original contribution to the contemporary film industry.
It will be presented to Anderson on September 1 before the premiere of The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar, his new 40-minute film based on Roald Dahl’s short story of the same name, which will screen out-of-competition. It is set for release on Netflix on...
US filmmaker Wes Anderson is to receive the Glory to the Filmmaker award at the 80th Venice International Film Festival (August 30 – September 9).
The award is dedicated to a personality who has made a particularly original contribution to the contemporary film industry.
It will be presented to Anderson on September 1 before the premiere of The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar, his new 40-minute film based on Roald Dahl’s short story of the same name, which will screen out-of-competition. It is set for release on Netflix on...
- 8/7/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Wes Anderson's "Asteroid City" will be available to stream very soon. The director, known for quirky comedies starring an endless rotation of his A-list actor friends, from Bill Murray to Tilda Swinton ("Moonrise Kingdom"), debuted his latest film in theaters in June. Now, audiences will be able to enjoy it from the comfort of their homes.
The full trailer for "Astroid City" dropped back on March 29, revealing the period comedy that takes place in a 1950s desert town about to be rocked by an otherworldly event that could change everything. The movie preview offered clues about the film's characters, with Scarlett Johansson taking on the role of a '50s-era movie star and Tom Hanks serving as the disapproving father of Jason Schwartzman's character's late wife (who dies three weeks before the movie starts). And, of course, the film features Anderson's trademark vibrant coloring and dry comedy.
The full trailer for "Astroid City" dropped back on March 29, revealing the period comedy that takes place in a 1950s desert town about to be rocked by an otherworldly event that could change everything. The movie preview offered clues about the film's characters, with Scarlett Johansson taking on the role of a '50s-era movie star and Tom Hanks serving as the disapproving father of Jason Schwartzman's character's late wife (who dies three weeks before the movie starts). And, of course, the film features Anderson's trademark vibrant coloring and dry comedy.
- 8/4/2023
- by Noelle Devoe
- Popsugar.com
Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, and Tom Hanks star in the “hilarious and joyful” (GQ) comedy Asteroid City, available to own with all-new bonus content on Digital on August 11, 2023 and on Blu-ray and DVD on August 15, 2023 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Written and directed by seven-time Oscar® nominee Wes Anderson, Asteroid City on Digital, Blu-ray and DVD showcases brand-new featurettes with exclusive talent and filmmaker interviews that dive deeper into the film’s unique characters, story, and themes of community and curiosity, lifting the curtain on Anderson’s extraordinary vision.
Certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, Asteroid City “packs a punch with its ensemble cast” (Slash Film), featuring an all-star, critically acclaimed supporting cast alongside Schwartzman, Johansson, and Hanks, including Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Liev Schreiber, Hope Davis, Stephen Park, Rupert Friend, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon, Hong Chau, Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie, Tony Revolori,...
Certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, Asteroid City “packs a punch with its ensemble cast” (Slash Film), featuring an all-star, critically acclaimed supporting cast alongside Schwartzman, Johansson, and Hanks, including Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Liev Schreiber, Hope Davis, Stephen Park, Rupert Friend, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon, Hong Chau, Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie, Tony Revolori,...
- 8/3/2023
- by Kristyn Clarke
- Age of the Nerd
‘Asteroid City‘ is directed by Wes Anderson and stars Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, and Tom Hanks, among others.
This film is all about style, and more than just style: it’s a powerful statement of style that encapsulates a seemingly trivial yet insightful and intuitive message.
Some say that only fools like Wes Anderson, but I must confess that this retro fable about nothing has delighted me.
Movie Review
Just based on the visuals, the Looney Tunes-inspired treatment, the framing, and the entire parody of cinema within cinema, ‘Asteroid City’ is worth it. And when I say it’s worth it, I mean that you haven’t seen anything like it, including other films by the director. Whether we like it or not, the cinematography is daring, brutally stylish, and brilliant, in a way that only Wes Anderson can achieve.
Is Wes Anderson copying himself? Definitely, and Wes Anderson...
This film is all about style, and more than just style: it’s a powerful statement of style that encapsulates a seemingly trivial yet insightful and intuitive message.
Some say that only fools like Wes Anderson, but I must confess that this retro fable about nothing has delighted me.
Movie Review
Just based on the visuals, the Looney Tunes-inspired treatment, the framing, and the entire parody of cinema within cinema, ‘Asteroid City’ is worth it. And when I say it’s worth it, I mean that you haven’t seen anything like it, including other films by the director. Whether we like it or not, the cinematography is daring, brutally stylish, and brilliant, in a way that only Wes Anderson can achieve.
Is Wes Anderson copying himself? Definitely, and Wes Anderson...
- 7/20/2023
- by Martin Cid
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
Universal City, California – Continuing its theatrical run, the charming comedy starring Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, and Tom Hanks, Focus Features’ Asteroid City is available tomorrow, July 11, 2023 to buy or rent at home on digital platforms nationwide from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Packed with humor, an eclectic cast of characters, and an extraordinary alien encounter, the film marks the return of seven-time Oscar® nominated writer and director Wes Anderson and his signature unique visual style.
A “delightfully profound desert charmer” (Indiewire) that “packs a punch with its ensemble cast” (Slash Film), Asteroid City showcases a star-studded, critically acclaimed supporting cast alongside Schwartzman, Johansson, and Hanks, including Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Liev Schreiber, Hope Davis, Stephen Park, Rupert Friend, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon, Hong Chau, Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie, Tony Revolori, Jake Ryan and Jeff Goldblum.
A fictional American desert town, circa 1955. Junior Stargazers...
A “delightfully profound desert charmer” (Indiewire) that “packs a punch with its ensemble cast” (Slash Film), Asteroid City showcases a star-studded, critically acclaimed supporting cast alongside Schwartzman, Johansson, and Hanks, including Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Liev Schreiber, Hope Davis, Stephen Park, Rupert Friend, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon, Hong Chau, Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie, Tony Revolori, Jake Ryan and Jeff Goldblum.
A fictional American desert town, circa 1955. Junior Stargazers...
- 7/11/2023
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
Wes Anderson’s latest film, Asteroid City, is now available to rent or buy on digital platforms, after just three weeks in theaters. The film, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May, is a metafictional comedy-drama set in a retro-futuristic version of the 1950s, where a TV host introduces a televised production of a play by famed playwright Conrad Earp (Edward Norton), depicting the events of a Junior Stargazer convention in a desert town.
The film features an ensemble cast that includes Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Adrien Brody, Liev Schreiber, Hope Davis, Steve Park, Rupert Friend, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon, Hong Chau, Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie, Tony Revolori, Jake Ryan and Jeff Goldblum. It is Anderson’s homage to popular memory and mythology about extraterrestrials and UFOs witnessed in the Southwestern desert in close proximity to atomic test...
The film features an ensemble cast that includes Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Adrien Brody, Liev Schreiber, Hope Davis, Steve Park, Rupert Friend, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon, Hong Chau, Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie, Tony Revolori, Jake Ryan and Jeff Goldblum. It is Anderson’s homage to popular memory and mythology about extraterrestrials and UFOs witnessed in the Southwestern desert in close proximity to atomic test...
- 7/11/2023
- by amalprasadappu
- https://thecinemanews.online/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/IMG_4649
The Harrison Ford blockbuster dethroned ‘Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse’.
Rank Film (distributor) Three-day gross (June 30-July 2) Total gross to date Week 1. Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny (Disney) £5.4m £7.1m 1 2. Spider-Man: Across The Spiderverse (Sony) £1.5m £25.9m 5 3. Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (Universal) £884,898 £884,898 1 4. The Little Mermaid (Disney) £837,544 £25m 6 5. Asteroid City (Universal) £797,946 £2.7m 2
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.27
Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny opened to £5.4m at the UK-Ireland box office this weekend – enough to top the charts, but significantly down on the most recent title in the action franchise.
The Dial Of Destiny had the widest release of...
Rank Film (distributor) Three-day gross (June 30-July 2) Total gross to date Week 1. Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny (Disney) £5.4m £7.1m 1 2. Spider-Man: Across The Spiderverse (Sony) £1.5m £25.9m 5 3. Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (Universal) £884,898 £884,898 1 4. The Little Mermaid (Disney) £837,544 £25m 6 5. Asteroid City (Universal) £797,946 £2.7m 2
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.27
Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny opened to £5.4m at the UK-Ireland box office this weekend – enough to top the charts, but significantly down on the most recent title in the action franchise.
The Dial Of Destiny had the widest release of...
- 7/3/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Scarlett Johansson might be one of the highest-paid actors in the world, but she didn’t take home a huge payday for her role in Asteroid City. The Oscar-nominated star earned just a few thousand dollars per week for playing Midge Campbell in Wes Anderson’s latest movie.
Scarlett Johansson agreed to a smaller payday for the new movie ‘Asteroid City’
Johansson is used to taking home multi-million-dollar paychecks for her work in blockbusters such as Black Widow and Avengers: Endgame. But for Asteroid City, she settled for a much smaller salary. She earned $4,131 a week for her part in the movie, which took eight weeks to film, according to a recent report in Variety. That means she banked a little over $33,000 for playing Midge, a famous Hollywood star.
Johansson’s relatively meager salary isn’t an anomaly when it comes to Anderson’s films. Edward Norton said he made...
Scarlett Johansson agreed to a smaller payday for the new movie ‘Asteroid City’
Johansson is used to taking home multi-million-dollar paychecks for her work in blockbusters such as Black Widow and Avengers: Endgame. But for Asteroid City, she settled for a much smaller salary. She earned $4,131 a week for her part in the movie, which took eight weeks to film, according to a recent report in Variety. That means she banked a little over $33,000 for playing Midge, a famous Hollywood star.
Johansson’s relatively meager salary isn’t an anomaly when it comes to Anderson’s films. Edward Norton said he made...
- 7/1/2023
- by Megan Elliott
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Wes Anderson has once again recruited Jason Schwartzman for another one of his films. Over the past two decades, the pair have worked together several times, including on "Rushmore," "Fantastic Mr. Fox," and "Moonrise Kingdom." Now, Schwartzman is the star of Anderson's latest theatrical release, "Asteroid City," which premiered on June 16. The period film, which takes place during the 1950s, follows a group of gifted students and their parents who visit a desert town for the annual Junior Stargazer convention. During their stay, they experience a mysterious cosmic event together.
Schwartzman plays a war photographer named Augie Steenbeck, whose son, Woodrow (Jake Ryan), is a Junior Stargazer winner. Also making up the cast are Scarlett Johansson as actor Midge Campbell; Tom Hanks as Augie's father-in-law, Stanley Zak; Jeffrey Wright as the convention's host, General Grif Gibson; and Tilda Swinton as scientist Dr. Hickenlooper.
In addition to their star-studded casts,...
Schwartzman plays a war photographer named Augie Steenbeck, whose son, Woodrow (Jake Ryan), is a Junior Stargazer winner. Also making up the cast are Scarlett Johansson as actor Midge Campbell; Tom Hanks as Augie's father-in-law, Stanley Zak; Jeffrey Wright as the convention's host, General Grif Gibson; and Tilda Swinton as scientist Dr. Hickenlooper.
In addition to their star-studded casts,...
- 6/21/2023
- by Michele Mendez
- Popsugar.com
Though Wes Anderson’s films can be seen as the product of the director’s sharp imagination, the finished work is nothing without those who turn his thoughts into spreadsheet-enabled reality. Most of the physical things on screen—the punctilious graphic design on signs and cards, the actual locations, the trimmed sets and the giant buildings in the distance that exist just to fill up white space—exist thanks to production designer Adam Stockhausen, who has been Anderson’s go-to since 2012’s Moonrise Kingdom. Stockhausen has noted his fondness for planning productions in an old-fashioned, tactile way which likely appeals not only to the very […]
The post “The Hard Way Every Single Time”: Production Designer Adam Stockhausen on Asteroid City first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “The Hard Way Every Single Time”: Production Designer Adam Stockhausen on Asteroid City first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 6/21/2023
- by Zach Lewis
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Though Wes Anderson’s films can be seen as the product of the director’s sharp imagination, the finished work is nothing without those who turn his thoughts into spreadsheet-enabled reality. Most of the physical things on screen—the punctilious graphic design on signs and cards, the actual locations, the trimmed sets and the giant buildings in the distance that exist just to fill up white space—exist thanks to production designer Adam Stockhausen, who has been Anderson’s go-to since 2012’s Moonrise Kingdom. Stockhausen has noted his fondness for planning productions in an old-fashioned, tactile way which likely appeals not only to the very […]
The post “The Hard Way Every Single Time”: Production Designer Adam Stockhausen on Asteroid City first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “The Hard Way Every Single Time”: Production Designer Adam Stockhausen on Asteroid City first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 6/21/2023
- by Zach Lewis
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Wes Anderson’s soundtracks were initially known for their Rolling Stones, David Bowie, The Who, and lots of ’60s and 70s rock at first. Eventually, that started to change; Anderson split with composer Mark Mothersbaugh, found a new ally in French composer Alexandre Desplat, and the music choices were less immediately identifiable, not quite as conventionally hip, but still tasteful choices (think the use of Hank Williams in “Moonrise Kingdom,” The Bobby Fuller Band in “Fantastic Mr.
Continue reading ‘Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City’ Soundtrack Features Jarvis Cocker, Alexandre Desplat, Bing Crosby & More at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City’ Soundtrack Features Jarvis Cocker, Alexandre Desplat, Bing Crosby & More at The Playlist.
- 6/20/2023
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
Ralph Fiennes in The Grand Budapest Hotel, Jeffrey Wright in The French Dispatch, Scarlett Johansson in Asteroid CityGraphic: AVClub
Wes Anderson films have a unique look and tone. They are visually stunning with immaculate detail given to costumes and production design. That uniqueness extends to his dialogue, which demands something different from his actors.
Wes Anderson films have a unique look and tone. They are visually stunning with immaculate detail given to costumes and production design. That uniqueness extends to his dialogue, which demands something different from his actors.
- 6/20/2023
- by Murtada Elfadl
- avclub.com
Focus Features’ press conference for Asteroid City began with writer/director Wes Anderson describing the inspiration for his most recent weirdly wonderful film. Asteroid City is one of the most Wes Anderson-ish of all Wes Anderson films, ranking right up there with The Royal Tenenbaums and Moonrise Kingdom, and Anderson admitted that no one has specifically asked him where the idea came from.
Joining 10 of his film’s stars – Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Jeffrey Wright, Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody, Rupert Friend, Stephen Park, Hope Davis, Bryan Cranston, and Maya Hawke – for the virtual conference, Anderson revealed that he normally starts writing a script with a couple of ideas.
”I would say this one the three ideas were, one, Roman Coppola and I created this thing together. We wanted to write a part for Jason Schwartzman at the center of a movie that would be something he hadn’t done before.
Joining 10 of his film’s stars – Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Jeffrey Wright, Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody, Rupert Friend, Stephen Park, Hope Davis, Bryan Cranston, and Maya Hawke – for the virtual conference, Anderson revealed that he normally starts writing a script with a couple of ideas.
”I would say this one the three ideas were, one, Roman Coppola and I created this thing together. We wanted to write a part for Jason Schwartzman at the center of a movie that would be something he hadn’t done before.
- 6/19/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Cannes premiere to expand wide this week.
Updated: Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City has debuted to the highest per-site average in North America since La La Land in 2016, opening through Focus Features on a confirmed $840,000 over Friday to Sunday in six cinemas for a $140,857 per-average.
‘Asteroid City’: Cannes Review
In encouraging news for the arthouse sector, which by and large has struggled to get back on foot at the box office in North America amid the receding pandemic, Focus reported that the fllm grossed $350,000 on Friday, $250,000 on Saturday, and $240,000 on Sunday.
It has projected an $970,000 haul over the four-day Juneteenth holiday weekend including Monday,...
Updated: Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City has debuted to the highest per-site average in North America since La La Land in 2016, opening through Focus Features on a confirmed $840,000 over Friday to Sunday in six cinemas for a $140,857 per-average.
‘Asteroid City’: Cannes Review
In encouraging news for the arthouse sector, which by and large has struggled to get back on foot at the box office in North America amid the receding pandemic, Focus reported that the fllm grossed $350,000 on Friday, $250,000 on Saturday, and $240,000 on Sunday.
It has projected an $970,000 haul over the four-day Juneteenth holiday weekend including Monday,...
- 6/18/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Father’s Day weekend has brought loads of bad news for multiple big-budget summer tentpoles, but there is some good news on the specialty front thanks to Wes Anderson’s new film “Asteroid City,” which was released by Focus Features in six theaters in New York and Los Angeles and is earning an estimated $790,000 for an excellent per theater average of $132,211.
Not only is that the best ever average for a Focus release, but it is also the best limited average since the $172,220+ average earned by Lionsgate/Summit’s Oscar winner “La La Land” in December 2016. It is also the best ever average for a film released in just six theaters, topping the $123,409 earned by Sony/Columbia’s “American Hustle” in December 2013. Focus also reported record opening weekends for the Angelika Theater in New York and the Sunset Theater in Los Angeles.
Such strong results are to be expected from Wes Anderson,...
Not only is that the best ever average for a Focus release, but it is also the best limited average since the $172,220+ average earned by Lionsgate/Summit’s Oscar winner “La La Land” in December 2016. It is also the best ever average for a film released in just six theaters, topping the $123,409 earned by Sony/Columbia’s “American Hustle” in December 2013. Focus also reported record opening weekends for the Angelika Theater in New York and the Sunset Theater in Los Angeles.
Such strong results are to be expected from Wes Anderson,...
- 6/18/2023
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Asteroid City delivered a massive jolt to the arthouse and specialty world this weekend as the Wes Anderson film presented by Focus Features blew past records with an estimated $790k three-day gross and $890k estimated for the four-day weekend in just six theaters.
That’s a per-theater average of $132,211 for the three days, and $148,901 for the four, repping the biggest PTA of year, and since Covid, and for some years before. This helmer can energize the specialty box office like no other. His Grand Budapest Hotel in 2014 opened at $800k on four screens, for a PSA of $200k — still considered the one to top in absolute.
Asteroid City Milestones, according to Focus:
-The best per theatre average since December of 2016 when La La Land opened to a $176,220 per theater
-The best per theater average of all time for a film that opened on in six locations
-The all-time best per theater average for a Focus Features Film, beating Wes Anderson’s 2012 Moonrise Kingdom
-Best opening weekend of all time at the Angelika Theatre
-Best opening weekend of all time at the Sunset Theatre
Landmark reopened the latter venue this weekend with a total Asteroid City takeover including a full pop up experience replicating the set and the film playing on all five screens, part of a big marketing push by Focus, which will expand it to approximately 1,500 theaters next weekend.
“We are beyond thrilled by this weekend’s record-breaking results and the overwhelmingly positive response. Wes Anderson is a singular director with unmatched creative vision, and it is so gratifying to see adult moviegoers returning to theaters to join in on the fun of this film,” said Lisa Bunnell, Focus Features, President of Distribution.
“We are off to a tremendous start and can’t wait to share Asteroid City with even more audiences in the weeks to come,” said Bunnell, who calls Anderson “the Marvel of the specialty world.”
Bunnell said the film is seeing a diverse crowd with lots of younger people – meaning the 18-34 year olds needed to bring specialty theaters back. The 9 and 10 pm shows have been lively.
It took a village, with partners Landmark, Alamo Drafthouse and Angelika all making big pushes, and with lots of support from AMC, which will have the most runs next week as the film expands.
The weekend breakdown: Friday – $350K; Saturday – $250K; Sunday – $190K; Monday – $100K.
Other openings: There weren’t many as distributors steered clear amid a pileup of high-profile wide relesease and what proved to be a Wes Anderson juggernaut. Telugu film Adipurush, from Viva Entertainment, was one that popped with an estimated $1.6 million on 550 screens, putting it in the top ten for the weekend.
Noting the ongoing success of A24’s Past Lives, which expanded to 85 screens across top markets this weekend (week three) and passed $2 million. Celine Song’s debut film grossed an estimated $761k for the three-day weekend and $923k for the four days for a cumulative gross of $2.06 million. With Asteroid City, it’s a nice boost for the indie market.
That’s a per-theater average of $132,211 for the three days, and $148,901 for the four, repping the biggest PTA of year, and since Covid, and for some years before. This helmer can energize the specialty box office like no other. His Grand Budapest Hotel in 2014 opened at $800k on four screens, for a PSA of $200k — still considered the one to top in absolute.
Asteroid City Milestones, according to Focus:
-The best per theatre average since December of 2016 when La La Land opened to a $176,220 per theater
-The best per theater average of all time for a film that opened on in six locations
-The all-time best per theater average for a Focus Features Film, beating Wes Anderson’s 2012 Moonrise Kingdom
-Best opening weekend of all time at the Angelika Theatre
-Best opening weekend of all time at the Sunset Theatre
Landmark reopened the latter venue this weekend with a total Asteroid City takeover including a full pop up experience replicating the set and the film playing on all five screens, part of a big marketing push by Focus, which will expand it to approximately 1,500 theaters next weekend.
“We are beyond thrilled by this weekend’s record-breaking results and the overwhelmingly positive response. Wes Anderson is a singular director with unmatched creative vision, and it is so gratifying to see adult moviegoers returning to theaters to join in on the fun of this film,” said Lisa Bunnell, Focus Features, President of Distribution.
“We are off to a tremendous start and can’t wait to share Asteroid City with even more audiences in the weeks to come,” said Bunnell, who calls Anderson “the Marvel of the specialty world.”
Bunnell said the film is seeing a diverse crowd with lots of younger people – meaning the 18-34 year olds needed to bring specialty theaters back. The 9 and 10 pm shows have been lively.
It took a village, with partners Landmark, Alamo Drafthouse and Angelika all making big pushes, and with lots of support from AMC, which will have the most runs next week as the film expands.
The weekend breakdown: Friday – $350K; Saturday – $250K; Sunday – $190K; Monday – $100K.
Other openings: There weren’t many as distributors steered clear amid a pileup of high-profile wide relesease and what proved to be a Wes Anderson juggernaut. Telugu film Adipurush, from Viva Entertainment, was one that popped with an estimated $1.6 million on 550 screens, putting it in the top ten for the weekend.
Noting the ongoing success of A24’s Past Lives, which expanded to 85 screens across top markets this weekend (week three) and passed $2 million. Celine Song’s debut film grossed an estimated $761k for the three-day weekend and $923k for the four days for a cumulative gross of $2.06 million. With Asteroid City, it’s a nice boost for the indie market.
- 6/18/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Jake Ryan first met Wes Anderson when he was just seven years old and cast as one of the protagonist’s little brothers in Moonrise Kingdom, the filmmaker’s 2012 feature set at a summer camp — and the two’s work together has come a long way since then.
Over the years, they’ve kept in touch, with Anderson directing a 2012 stop-motion commercial for Sony that a young Ryan wrote, inviting Ryan to participate in conversations for Criterion Collection editions of his films, and casting Ryan a small part in the animated feature Isle of Dogs. But now, at 19, Ryan has his biggest role in an Anderson film to date.
In Asteroid City, Ryan plays Woodrow Steenbeck, an awkward teen and award winning “Junior Stargazer,” who arrives in the eponymous desert town with his morose father Augie (Jason Schwartzman) and three incorrigible little sisters. Woodrow, who recently lost his mom, is...
Over the years, they’ve kept in touch, with Anderson directing a 2012 stop-motion commercial for Sony that a young Ryan wrote, inviting Ryan to participate in conversations for Criterion Collection editions of his films, and casting Ryan a small part in the animated feature Isle of Dogs. But now, at 19, Ryan has his biggest role in an Anderson film to date.
In Asteroid City, Ryan plays Woodrow Steenbeck, an awkward teen and award winning “Junior Stargazer,” who arrives in the eponymous desert town with his morose father Augie (Jason Schwartzman) and three incorrigible little sisters. Woodrow, who recently lost his mom, is...
- 6/17/2023
- by Esther Zuckerman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Clockwise from top left: Gene Hackman in The Royal Tenenbaums (Screenshot: YouTube), George Clooney in Fantastic Mr. Fox (Screenshot: YouTube), Bill Murray in The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (Screenshot: YouTube), Tom Hanks in Asteroid City (Screenshot: YouTube), Wes Anderson (Photo: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images), and Jason Schwartzman in Asteroid City...
- 6/17/2023
- by William Hughes
- avclub.com
Quentin Tarantino might fancy himself a bit of a provocateur, but the guy does have some boundaries: Earlier this year, he explained why his films almost never include sex scenes, and more recently at Cannes, he said that on-screen animal cruelty is “a bridge [he] can’t cross.”
“I have a big thing about killing animals in movies,” the filmmaker said (via Variety). “That’s a bridge I can’t cross… Insects too. Unless I’m paying to see some bizzarro documentary, I’m not paying to see real death. Part of the way that this all works is that it’s all just make believe. That’s why I can stand the violent scenes, cause we’re all just fucking around.”
He continued: “Some animal, some dog, some llama, some fly, some rat, doesn’t give a fuck about your movie… I’d kill a million rats, but I don...
“I have a big thing about killing animals in movies,” the filmmaker said (via Variety). “That’s a bridge I can’t cross… Insects too. Unless I’m paying to see some bizzarro documentary, I’m not paying to see real death. Part of the way that this all works is that it’s all just make believe. That’s why I can stand the violent scenes, cause we’re all just fucking around.”
He continued: “Some animal, some dog, some llama, some fly, some rat, doesn’t give a fuck about your movie… I’d kill a million rats, but I don...
- 6/14/2023
- by Abby Jones
- Consequence - Film News
Paris-based auteur Wes Anderson filmed his sci-fi comedy “Asteroid City” in Spain during the pandemic in 2021, but it embraced a 1955 American milieu. The well-reviewed movie offers Anderson’s usual sprawling ensemble — Scarlett Johansson, Jason Schwartzman, Bryan Cranston, Tom Hanks, Steve Carell, Margot Robbie, Tilda Swinton, Ed Norton, Adrien Brody, and more — but it’s not the actors who will pop up with Oscar nominations. No one gets enough individual screen time.
Like Anderson’s most-lauded “The Grand Budapest Hotel”, “Asteroid City” will likely clean up with the crafts, and possibly, like “Moonrise Kingdom”, also nab a nod for Original Screenplay.
Written by Anderson and long-time screenwriting partner Roman Coppola, “Asteroid City” stars Schwartzman as avuncular writer Augie Steenbeck, typewriter and pipe in tow. He is bringing his whiz-kid scientist son Woodrow (“Eighth Grade” standout Jake Ryan) and three daughters to the Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention in the New Mexico desert,...
Like Anderson’s most-lauded “The Grand Budapest Hotel”, “Asteroid City” will likely clean up with the crafts, and possibly, like “Moonrise Kingdom”, also nab a nod for Original Screenplay.
Written by Anderson and long-time screenwriting partner Roman Coppola, “Asteroid City” stars Schwartzman as avuncular writer Augie Steenbeck, typewriter and pipe in tow. He is bringing his whiz-kid scientist son Woodrow (“Eighth Grade” standout Jake Ryan) and three daughters to the Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention in the New Mexico desert,...
- 6/6/2023
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
It’s sequels galore this summer, from alien robots to comic book heroes new and old. Five June Fridays are thus necessary––nothing else would be able to elbow their way in without them. So for those lucky enough to live in a market where qualifying runs and arthouses can still survive without bending to crazy studio quotas, I hope you’ll get to enjoy a few of the below posters in-person. The rest of us will have to get our fill now and wait for them to pop back up on the VOD / streaming cycle. If you find yourself thinking “I know that one!” a couple weeks from now, the artists have done their job.
Out of focus
Despite including it here, Blt Communications, LLC’s Asteroid City is not out-of-focus. I don’t think Wes Anderson would allow it. Instead, much like the posters for Moonrise Kingdom and The French Dispatch,...
Out of focus
Despite including it here, Blt Communications, LLC’s Asteroid City is not out-of-focus. I don’t think Wes Anderson would allow it. Instead, much like the posters for Moonrise Kingdom and The French Dispatch,...
- 6/1/2023
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
Technically speaking the great American filmmaker Wes Anderson has now appeared in the Cannes competition with three titles – opening the ’12 edition with Moonrise Kingdom, giving The French Dispatch for both the 2020 pandemic label year and 2021 release and he dropped by the red carpet with an actual bus with the loads of folks who starred in Asteroid City.
In 1955, students and parents from across the country gather for scholarly competition, rest, recreation, comedy, drama, and romance at a Junior Stargazer convention held in a fictional American desert town. Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Ed Norton, Adrien Brody, Liev Schreiber, Willem Dafoe, Tony Revolori, Stephen Park, Rupert Friend, Jeff Goldblum, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Margot Robbie, Hope Davis, Maya Hawke, Steve Carrell, Matt Dillon, Hong Chau, Jake Ryan, Grace Edwards, Aristou Meehan, Sophia Lillis and Ethan Lee have parts.…...
In 1955, students and parents from across the country gather for scholarly competition, rest, recreation, comedy, drama, and romance at a Junior Stargazer convention held in a fictional American desert town. Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Ed Norton, Adrien Brody, Liev Schreiber, Willem Dafoe, Tony Revolori, Stephen Park, Rupert Friend, Jeff Goldblum, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Margot Robbie, Hope Davis, Maya Hawke, Steve Carrell, Matt Dillon, Hong Chau, Jake Ryan, Grace Edwards, Aristou Meehan, Sophia Lillis and Ethan Lee have parts.…...
- 5/25/2023
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Wes Anderson is thanking his lucky stars for Covid protocols overlapping with the “Asteroid City” production.
The auteur, whose science-filled out-of-this-world film debuted at 2023 Cannes, credited the global pandemic for inspiring the quarantine plotline in his latest script.
“During the intense part of the Covid period, we were writing the script. I don’t think there would be a quarantine in the story if we weren’t experiencing it,” Anderson said. “It wasn’t deliberate. Writing is the most improvisational part of the whole process.”
The subsequent pandemic protocols on the “Asteroid City” set in Spain also grounded the ensemble feature. The film was shot between August and October 2021.
“The making of the movie during Covid protocols, it really suited us. It worked for us,” Anderson added. “I loved that we formed a troupe and stayed together and sat at a long table and had dinner.”
The “troupe” consisted of...
The auteur, whose science-filled out-of-this-world film debuted at 2023 Cannes, credited the global pandemic for inspiring the quarantine plotline in his latest script.
“During the intense part of the Covid period, we were writing the script. I don’t think there would be a quarantine in the story if we weren’t experiencing it,” Anderson said. “It wasn’t deliberate. Writing is the most improvisational part of the whole process.”
The subsequent pandemic protocols on the “Asteroid City” set in Spain also grounded the ensemble feature. The film was shot between August and October 2021.
“The making of the movie during Covid protocols, it really suited us. It worked for us,” Anderson added. “I loved that we formed a troupe and stayed together and sat at a long table and had dinner.”
The “troupe” consisted of...
- 5/24/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Wes Anderson brought cowboys, aliens and movie stars to the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday, earning a six-minute standing ovation at its world premiere.
Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jason Schwartzman, Matt Dillon, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Jeffrey Wright, Ed Norton, Margot Robbie and Jeff Goldblum are among the starry ensemble cast — many of whom were in attendance at the Grand Palais with their notoriously stylish and exacting director.
The project tells of a desert tourist trap that was one the sites of an asteroid landing, which also doubles as the location of an annual camp for “stargazers and space cadets.” The conceit is a story-within-a-story, as the cast plays a troupe of actors and stage crew for a play. Johansson had the Cannes crowd swooning as a movie star derailed in Asteroid City (and also as an actress playing that actress in the meta story).
Donning a cropped black wig and always swilling a martini,...
Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jason Schwartzman, Matt Dillon, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Jeffrey Wright, Ed Norton, Margot Robbie and Jeff Goldblum are among the starry ensemble cast — many of whom were in attendance at the Grand Palais with their notoriously stylish and exacting director.
The project tells of a desert tourist trap that was one the sites of an asteroid landing, which also doubles as the location of an annual camp for “stargazers and space cadets.” The conceit is a story-within-a-story, as the cast plays a troupe of actors and stage crew for a play. Johansson had the Cannes crowd swooning as a movie star derailed in Asteroid City (and also as an actress playing that actress in the meta story).
Donning a cropped black wig and always swilling a martini,...
- 5/23/2023
- by Matt Donnelly and Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
Here’s one thing we learned at the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday: If Wes Anderson really were to make a “Star Wars” movie, that film would look nothing at all like the viral video that purports to show what Anderson’s version of the Lucasfilm universe might be like.
The proof is in “Asteroid City,” Anderson’s new movie, which premiered in Cannes on Tuesday and does include an alien who comes to Earth in a spaceship. It takes place in a galaxy far, far away, to be sure, but that galaxy is on Earth. It’s only far, far away from any recognizable human behavior because it’s in Wes-world: a small town populated with nothing but eccentrics in interesting clothing with speech patterns that only marginally resemble actual human communication.
“Asteroid City” tells the story of a three-day “Asteroid Day” event in the titular Asteroid City, a...
The proof is in “Asteroid City,” Anderson’s new movie, which premiered in Cannes on Tuesday and does include an alien who comes to Earth in a spaceship. It takes place in a galaxy far, far away, to be sure, but that galaxy is on Earth. It’s only far, far away from any recognizable human behavior because it’s in Wes-world: a small town populated with nothing but eccentrics in interesting clothing with speech patterns that only marginally resemble actual human communication.
“Asteroid City” tells the story of a three-day “Asteroid Day” event in the titular Asteroid City, a...
- 5/23/2023
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
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