Fear not Wes Anderson fans, the two-year drought is almost over, as the Oscar-winning filmmaker is returning with his next feature movie The Phoenician Scheme sooner than we thought. Landing a May 2025 theatrical release date, The Phoenician Scheme marks Anderson’s 12th feature packing his trademark ensemble cast, and an exciting newcomer that I’m particularly buzzing to see.
Like clockwork, Anderson has reunited with Roman Coppola once again to co-create the story behind The Phoenician Scheme. And according to Variety, the distribution rights to the movie have been picked up by independent film studio Focus Features who, by now, is well-acquainted with the works of Anderson after releasing Moonrise Kingdom (2012), and his most recent movie Asteroid City (2023). The Phoenician Scheme will receive a limited release on May 30 in the US, before its wider release set for June 6.
What gives Anderson’s movies their distinct edge is of course the traditional ensemble cast, and returning to the screen is a handful of familiar faces that have naturally become synonymous with the ‘Wes Anderson’ movie. As well as industry legends and longtime Anderson collaborators Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Jeffrey Wright, Bryan Cranston, and Benedict Cumberbatch, it’s safe to say that the addition of Michael Cera is one of the more interesting aspects of the cast whose charming awkwardness as an actor is the perfect jigsaw piece to fit into a Wes Anderson project.
Though it’s been two years since Asteroid City was released, for me the absence of Anderson’s work hasn’t felt as prolonged compared to previous years. This is largely due to his series of shorts adapted from Roald Dahl’s short stories for Netflix, including The Swan (2023), The Rat Catcher (2023), and most notably The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023) – an Oscar winner and one of the best Netflix movies.
What can we expect from The Phoenician Scheme?
Described as an ‘espionage comedy drama’ by NME, The Phoenician Scheme follows the story of a family and a family business. It follows the family’s patriarch Zsa-zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro), one of the richest men in Europe, and his family unit which includes his daughter (Mia Threapleton) and her tutor Bjorn Lund (Michael Cera).
From the brief description we’ve been handed, it’ll be interesting to see where Anderson will take his espionage drama. But given his eccentric stylistic approaches to both cinematography and humor, there’s no doubt that we’re in for a rather campy ride which, if you ask me, is the perfect way to execute a spy movie.
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