Moonrise Kingdom to be Distributed by Focus Features

News is trickling out on Wes’  currently in-production seventh film Moonrise Kingdom. Anne Thompson reports that Focus Features, a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, will distribute the film.

Focus Features has acquired worldwide rights to Wes Anderson’s 60s story Moonrise Kingdom, with a stellar cast already assembled.

They are: Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton and Anderson regulars Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman. Filming is already under way on Rhode Island on the project, which was written by Anderson and Roman Coppola; the duo also wrote Anderson’s The Darjeeling Limited.

Here’s the synopsis:

Set on an island off the coast of New England in the 1960s, Moonrise Kingdom follows a young boy and girl falling in love. When they are moved to run away together, various factions of the town mobilize to search for them and the town is turned upside down – which might not be such a bad thing. Bruce Willis plays the town sheriff; two-time Academy Award nominee Edward Norton is cast as a camp leader; Academy Award nominee Bill Murray and Academy Award winner Frances McDormand portray the young girl’s parents; the cast also includes Academy Award winner Tilda Swinton and Jason Schwartzman. The young boy and girl are played by Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward.

Indian Paintbrush, which executive-produced and co-financed Mr. Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox and The Darjeeling Limited, which were both produced by Scott Rudin, is presenting the American Empirical Pictures production which is produced by Anderson, Rudin, Indian Paintbrush’s Steven Rales, and American Empirical’s Jeremy Dawson.

Although Fox Searchlight did an admirable job with Anderson’s last two films (particularly that bit where they put our page on their Mr. Fox site…thanks again!), we’re very excited that Focus will distribute the film. They’re more selective and tend to get even the most esoteric of their acquisitions into many theaters and spend a bit on advertising. Past Focus releases include: Lost in Translation, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Greenberg, and Somewhere. Definitely a good home for Anderson. No word yet on when the film might see a release, but  we will, as always, have more information on the film as it’s reported.