Wes Anderson is one of those directors who draws a lot of attention whenever a new project is announced. Starting back to his first feature film, Bottle Rocket, Anderson has become an icon of independent films and received huge praise for his unique and distinct style as well as memorable characters from his distinguished filmography.
With such great films as The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic and Grand Budapest Hotel under his belt, it no surprise that his latest film already has fans excited. The French Dispatch is still a long way away, but we are slowly getting hints as to what Anderson and company are creating to tease out anticipation. Here’s everything we know so far about Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch.
Anderson’s Tenth Film
As we all have been eagerly counting down to the anticipated tenth film by Quentin Tarantino, Wes Anderson will be reaching that impressive milestone with his The French Dispatch. Though he has also made plenty of short films in that time, this will indeed by his tenth feature film, and unlike Tarantino, Anderson thankfully has not mentioned his plans of stopping at ten.
It is pretty impressive to think that Anderson has reached his tenth film after making his first film in only 1996. Even more impressive, each one of those films is interesting, unique yet still maintains Anderson’s own voice and style. That bodes well for The French Dispatch and any of his films that follow.
The Creative Team
As with all of his films to date, Anderson will be serving as both director and writer of the film. However, unlike most of his other screenplays, Anderson will not be collaborating with anyone else in the writing aspect. Anderson has had a tremendous talent for bringing in other writers like Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, and Noah Baumbach to co-write with yet retain his own voice. His only other solo writing credit was Moonrise Kingdom.
In terms of other behind the scenes creatives Anderson is bringing along, it is a gang of usual suspects. His long-time cinematographer, Robert Yeoman, editor Andrew Weisblum, and composer, Alexandre Desplat will all be returning.
Returning Favorites
There must be something special about working with Wes Anderson as many actors seem more than willing to return again and again for his films. The French Dispatch is no exception as many of his favorite onscreen collaborators are confirmed to be appearing in the film.
The most notable actor is, of course, Bill Murray who has appeared in every Wes Anderson film since Rushmore. Other returning favorites include Tilda Swinton, Willem Dafoe, Adrien Brody, Saoirse Ronan, and Owen Wilson. Wilson is an especially exciting inclusion as he and Anderson started their careers together and he has not had a substantial role in one of these movies in some time.
New Additions
While Anderson seems to inspire loyalty in actors, his reputation in the movie business also means many actors would jump at the chance to work with him for the first time. His casts are usually packed with famous faces in big and small roles. The French Dispatch promises to have another star-studded cast.
Among the many actors who will be appearing in a Wes Anderson movie for the first time includes Timothee Chalamet, who is rumored to be the film’s lead. The cast also includes a few Oscar winners like Benecio Del Toro, Kate Winslet, and Christoph Waltz.
Plot
Most of Wes Anderson’s films cannot be summed up easily. The plot of the film is usually just a small indication of the bigger picture he will be working on. That being said, the proposed plot for this film already sounds like one of his more ambitious projects.
The movie is said to be set in France during World War II and centers on members of the press during this time. Anderson has said the movie is a love letter to journalists, but it will be especially interesting to see what Wes Anderson’s take on a World War II film will be like.
Rumored Musical
Music has always been a big part of Anderson’s films. Certain songs have been perfectly chosen to bring out the most moving and compelling moments in his films. He seems like the kind of director who seems destined to do a musical someday. And for a time, The French Dispatch was rumored to be just that.
When it was first announced Anderson was prepping a new film, it was reported by a number of outlets that it would be a WWII-set musical. While the wartime aspect proved true, Anderson has since denied it will be a musical. Interestingly, however, there will apparently be original music from Mark Mothersbaugh.
French Production
Anderson is clearly a fan of world cinema as you can see in many of his films. As you see in films like The Grand Budapest Hotel, Darjeeling Limited, and Isle of Dogs, he also has an interest in exploring other cultures. As the title of The French Dispatch might have already suggested, Anderson will delve into French culture during the war.
Along with reportedly being filmed in France, there are suggestions that the movie will be featured a lot of French-spoken dialogue in certain storylines. The film does have a number of acclaimed French actors in the cast, including Mathieu Amalric, Léa Seydoux, Cécile de France, and Denis Ménochet.
Release Date
With all the enticing details about the film, fans of Wes Anderson are probably counting down the days until the film’s release. Unfortunately, the suspense will continue as there has yet to be an official release date given for the film, nor does it have US distribution at this point.
Right now, the closest that we can narrow it down is that the film will be released in 2020. However, it does not appear that the wait will be too long. Filming reportedly wrapped in March and Anderson himself said that he thinks the film could be ready by the end of the years. While that clearly doesn’t seem to be happening, fans can expect to see the film hit theaters within the first few months of 2020.
