Wes Anderson’s star-studded cast list keeps growing, Bryan Cranston, Jeffrey Wright, and more join film
The untitled project is currently filming in Spain
TV News Wes Anderson
Another day, another Wes Anderson cast announcement for his next untitled film (spoiler alert: still no plot details). Today’s recruits include Bryan Cranston, Hope Davis, Jeffrey Wright, and Liev Schreiber.
The project is currently filming in Spain, and is expected to wrap up in September ahead of the release of The French Dispatch. The new cast additions join Anderson newcomers Margot Robbie and Tom Hanks, as well as tenured cast members Scarlett Johansson, Adrien Brody, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, and Tilda Swinton. Rupert Friend takes on a role in the new project after playing Drill-Sargeant in The French Dispatch. Anderson’s known for casting the same actors time and time again, but this may be shaping up to be one of his largest casts yet.
Like Johansson, Cranston previously held a voice role in the animated Isle Of Dogs. Since its release in 2018, The Malcom In The Middle star’s only film roles have been in El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie and Disney’s The Only And Only Ivan. In addition to the untitled Anderson project, Cranston will star in Jerry And Marge Go Large, directed by David Frankel.
This is Davis’ first time working with director, however she just appeared in the Showtime series Your Honor alongside Cranston. Her latest film role was in Greenland, the natural disaster action film starring Gerard Butler.
Both Wright and Schreiber have roles in The French Dispatch. Schreiber’s become a consistent Anderson pick as he also voiced a character in Isle of Dogs. In addition to Dispatch, Wright has been working on Westworld and Marvel’s new multiverse series, What If…? Wright will appear in the next Bond film, No Time To Die, and in The Batman as James Gordon.
The French Dispatch will finally hit theaters October 22.
18 Comments
Looks like Wes has finally found his token in Jeffrey Wright.
huh?
Harsh, but fair.
I join you in being outraged that Wes Anderson didn’t cast more black people in his animated movie about Japanese dogs, his live-action movie about central Europe in the 1930s or his animated movie about anthropomorphic English wildlife.I’m all for giving more opportunities to women and POC so they can create art that reflects their experiences. I don’t think anyone benefits from Wes Anderson trying to speak to the black experience.
Looks like you missed the part where Tony Revolori was the lead in Grand Budapest Hotel. Or the fact that Wes discovered Kumar Pallana as an unknown 80 year old and put him in 4 movies. Don’t get me wrong, his movies are still primarily white, but doing this whole “Wes doesn’t cast POC” bit in 2021 just feels less like you’re critiquing Wes and more like you’re erasing the work of great actors like Danny Glover, Irrfan Khan, Amara Karan, and so on.
Life Aquatic is a pretty diverse cast for a 2004 film, because it was thematically appropriate. (Ironically that ALSO features some stuff that really does not hold up well, even if we’re meant to think Steve is an asshole.)
Yeah, that’s another one I meant to mention. I think it’s cool that Wes had Seu Jorge do a soundtrack album for the movie, in addition to acting in it. Definitely raised his profile in the US in a way that wouldn’t have happened without Life Aquatic
honestly I’d rather watch a movie of Bill Murray and Tom Hanks bullshitting with each other for 90 minutes about their favorite sandwiches or playing charades while everyone else in the cast applauds. How Wes Anderson attracts insane casts like this is beyond me.
Actors love well-written roles in non-blockbuster films, and those are dwindling opportunities.
I get that Anderson’s movies aren’t going for realism, or even the suspension of belief that you are watching a movie, but unless he’s doing a remake of It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, I don’t see how having this many big names will make for anything other than an hour and forty minutes of “Spot the Star”.
His use of structure helps him get away with a bit more. Like Jude Law and Schwartman and F. Murray Abraham in Grand Budapest Hotel; they were almost leads in their own separate film. French Dispatch seems like a full embrace of ensemble/anthology, too, which is another way to do it without having Tom Hanks as a waiter with two lines.
This jobs creation program is targeting the wrong subset of the population! These guys can still get work? What about Felicity Huffman, Wilmer Valderrama, Laura Osnes, and Edward Furlong?
Ron Constipée.
Wes Anderson and Rian Johnson in a contest to see who can cast the most stars.
Damian Chazelle: “Hold my beer”
They’re going to end up fighting over Benedict Cumberbatch like two dogs with a piece of meat.
I didn’t realize until now how badly i wanted to see Liev Schreiber in a (live action) Wes Anderson movie.
Jeffrey Wright is one of those really understated, quality actors who I just want to see get more work. I can’t say I’ve seen his whole filmography, but I haven’t seen him give a bad performance yet.