Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City” is out of this world.
The first look at the stylized universe behind the fictional city has Wes Anderson fans already desperate for more of the auteur’s signature symmetry and tableaux-inspired shot design. The trailer for the film gives a sneak peek at the lush desert landscapes and beige-toned themes of “Asteroid City,” which filmed in Spain.
The film is set to debut in theaters June 16 from Focus Features before a wide release June 23. This marks the first collaboration between Focus and Anderson since the Oscar-nominated 2012 coming-of-age story “Moonrise Kingdom,” the style of which has set the tone for his movies ever since like “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Isle of Dogs,” and last year’s “The French Dispatch” — all distributed by Searchlight.
“Asteroid City” is, of course, shot by Anderson’s trusted cinematographer Robert D. Yeoman, Oscar-nominated for “Grand Budapest” and the visionary behind everything from “The Life Aquatic” to “The Royal Tenenbaums.” Alexandre Desplat composed the film’s score in his sixth collaboration with Anderson. The film is co-written by Anderson and Roman Coppola. The “Mozart in the Jungle” creator also penned “Moonrise Kingdom” and “The Darjeeling Limited” with Anderson and contributed to the story on “French Dispatch” and “Isle of Dogs.”
In classic Wes Anderson fashion, the description for the upcoming film is as quirky, stylistic, and vague as can be. It’s set in 1955 around a Junior Stargazer convention, bringing together students and parents from across the country for scholarly competition, rest and recreation, comedy, drama, romance, and more. But after a UFO and an alien seemingly arrive on the scene, the U.S. government quarantines the town, putting the Asteroid Day celebrations on hold.
“Asteroid City” stars Anderson newcomers and regulars alike, including Tom Hanks, Margot Robbie, Scarlett Johansson, Bryan Cranston, Maya Hawke, Liev Schreiber, Jeff Goldblum, Rita Wilson, and Steve Carell. Longtime Anderson collaborators Tilda Swinton, Ed Norton, and Adrien Brody also star. “The French Dispatch” returning actors Willem Dafoe, Jeffrey Wright, and Fisher Stevens additionally appear, along with Anderson staple (and screenwriter Coppola’s cousin) Jason Schwartzman.
The ensemble cast is rounded out by Hope Davis, Stephen Park, Rupert Friend, Matt Dillon, Hong Chau, Tony Revolori, Jake Ryan, Grace Edwards, Aristou Meehan, Sophia Lillis, and Ethan Lee.
Check out the best shots from the just-released trailer below.
Scarlett Johansson looks moody and forlorn in “Asteroid City” as a famous actress who thinks the town might be doomed — and who forms a connection with Jason Schwartzman as a widowed father. Johansson previously teamed with Wes Anderson for a voice role in “Isle of Dogs.
Production designer Adam Stockhausen crafts a retro ’50s vibe for the titular town. He previously won an Oscar for crafting the high-class hotel in the fictional Eastern European country of Zubrowka for “The Grand Budapest Hotel.”
Anderson regular Jason Schwartzman plays a widowed father stranded in Asteroid City with his children, who entreats his father-in-law (Anderson newcomer Tom Hanks) to rescue them.
Steve Carell, joined here by Jake Ryan and Liev Schreiber, makes his Wes Anderson debut. Cinematographer Robert Yeoman’s flair for packing a lot of information into the frame is on full display here.
It’s 1955 after all, so expect some Cold War-era intrigue brewing in the backdrop.
What’s happening here? Could it be some sort of alien landing at the Junior Stargaze convention? Wes Anderson is going full “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” with this shot.
Let’s face it, we could always use more Hope Davis. We feel safe around Hope Davis. She’s a national treasure! The “Succession” breakout makes her Wes Anderson cinematic universe debut with “Asteroid City,” seen here sipping martinis midday with Tom Hanks and Liev Schreiber’s characters.
Wes Anderson stalwart Jason Schwartzman, a regular in practically all the director’s films, plays a father marooned in Asteroid City with his kids.
The movie takes place during Asteroid City’s annual Junior Stargazer and Space Cadet convention, celebrated during “Asteroid Day,” which commemorates “September 23, 3,007 B.C.,” when a meteorite made impact in the town’s current location.
Here she is again, staring ahead blankly, bleeding mascara over a strewn-open bottle of pills.
Asteroid City is taking quarantine to serious lengths amid a potential alien threat.
The Junior Stargazers have some serious technology at their disposal.
Maya Hawke makes her Wes Anderson debut in “Asteroid City.” She’s one of the brains behind the town’s stargazing enterprise.
Wes Anderson cinephiles know he’ll always shoot on film, here using the Arri camera system.
Asteroid City stargazers set up camp to await — what exactly? Friendly aliens among us? Imminent doomsday? This shot is pure eye-popping Wes Anderson brilliance.
