The World of Wes Anderson
A few quick updates on the now-in-production new film from Wes.
-The pictures confirm that Harvey Keitel has joined the film, and Bob Balaban has also joined the cast.
-There’s now also a rumored release date of Summer 2012 through Focus Features.
We’ll of course have more for you as information is released.
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.
As Wes’ next film Moonrise Kingdom heads towards its late Spring shoot, more cast members are being confirmed, and a Rhode Island casting agency has confirmed three actors for the film. As Deadline reported previously, Ed Norton and Frances McDormand will be among the sprawling, star-studded cast, and they’ve also confirmed Jason Schwartzman will have a role. The film will shoot in Rhode Island very soon.
Thanks to jexxica for the tip.
Bits and pieces, but information about the spring shoot for Wes’ new film Moonrise Kingdom is starting to come in. A reader points us to this recent Boston Globe article that claims a casting office began posting notices for the film at the end of January in Rhode Island. The presumption is that the film will at least partially be shot there. This is supported by producer Scott Rudin moving all of his operations to New York to oversee a number of East Coast projects, including Wes’ film and Noah Baumbach’s While We’re Young. The film looks to be moving along steadily for a spring shoot, and if you come across any info you’d like to share with us, let us know on Twitter, the forum, or in the comments below. See our previous stories, including the rumored cast here.
Deadline is reporting that they’ve heard that sources say a few actors are “in talks” to come aboard Wes’ next film Moonrise Kingdom. The current group of actors include Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand and Tilda Swinton. Though these are of course just rumours at this point, Deadline is usually right about such things. No word yet who will play the two 12-year-old leads.
Also provided within their story is a synopsis for the film, with the roles the speculative, aforementioned actors would play. If this synopsis is correct, it would mark Wes’ first overt period film.
Moon Rise Kingdom is set in the 60s. Two young adults fall in love and run away. Leaders in their New England town are sticking the idea that they’ve disappeared and go in search of them. Norton will play a scout leader who brings his charges on a search. Willis is in talks to play the town sheriff who’s also looking, and who is having an affair with the missing girl’s mother, the role McDormand is in talks to play. Murray, a regular in Anderson films, will play the girl’s father, who has his own issues.
It sounds like more of an ensemble film than Anderson’s most recent work, perhaps a bit like Tenenbaums. Deadline’s piece also drops the info that the screenplay was co-written by Darjeeling co-writer and commercial collaborator Roman Coppola. Interestingly they also add a space in the first part of the title, where Production Weekly did not. The film will be produced by Indian Paintbrush and Scott Rudin, both of whom produced Anderson’s last two films.
We will keep you informed if (or when) the cast is confirmed. Production is set to begin in the Spring of next year. You can join the wild speculation in our Yankee Racers thread.
Various sources are reporting that Wes will shoot a new film in 2011. They all point to this tweet:
@ProdWeek Wes Anderson has begun pre-production on his next live-action project, the untitled feature is scheduled to begin filming in the Spring.
There isn’t any information about what he’s shooting, but The Playlist says the production is casting two 12-year-olds for the leads, so it’s definitely not The Rosenthaler Suite.
We will keep you informed of developments as they are available.
Update 10/01/10 Production Weekly has posted an update claiming the title of the film is Moonrise Kingdom. Discuss and speculate in our Yankee Racers thread.
