Color us excited, frequent Wes collaborator Roman Coppola (co-writer of The Darjeeling Limited and Moonrise Kingdom) is back with his second directorial effort A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III, coming more than a decade after his wonderful film CQ. The film stars Charlie Sheen in the title role, as a graphic designer with girl trouble. We’re most excited though by Coppola cousin Jason Schwartzman and American hero Bill Murray, who appear to play Swan’s best friend and father figure, respectively. The film comes out in the US on February 8th. We’ll be first in line.
Ralph Fiennes in talks for ‘Grand Budapest Hotel’
With all of the casting confusion the internet is producing, we’re happy to set the record straight and report that both Variety and the Hollywood Reporter (THR) have confirmed Ralph Fiennes is in negotiations for Wes Anderon’s The Grand Budapest Hotel. He’s set to play a character named M. Gustave, who serves as the hotel’s perfectly composed concierge. This role was originally reported to be filled by Johnny Depp, but Wes Anderson denied this two months ago. But Anderson’s frequent cronies Bill Murray, Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman are in the cast. Couldn’t imagine an Anderson without them. Fiennes recent projects have been acting alongside Daniel Craig in 007: Skyfall and portraying Charles Dickens in The Invisible Woman.
Also, THR has noted that Murder She Wrote‘s Angela Lansbury is no longer involved with the movie due to commitments to a stage version of the Academy-award winning film Driving Miss Daisy (also a Pulitzer Prize winning play). Lansbury has been performing on stage every year for the past six years. Lansbury will be playing alongside James Earl Jones and will open next year at Her Majesty’s Theater. Tickets will be on sale October 22nd.
The Grand Budapest Hotel is set for release in 2014. Keep checking back at RA.com for more updates.
Friday News Round-Up 7/27/12
A little light today, but still full of love. We’re in between movies and casting and we’re feeling the strain. Hopefully soon, we’ll hear more about the official cast and plot for #8, which starts filming in the fall. Until then, let’s get down to it:
- (Above): One of our favorite scenes from MR, based on a true story.
- Covetous of Sam’s scout badges? Buy your own here!
- Hat’s off to Boston Sunday Globe for their beautiful full page for the Boston premiere of Moonrise.
- The clip that started it all: Jason Schwartzman’s audition for Rushmore.
- britishindie has designed cleverly minimalist posters for each of Wes’ films. Collect them all!
- Houston Press picked Wes as one of the five film directors they’d like to see direct the Olympics.
- thisisbooksmusic has a great post about Suzie’s record player.
- Even fashion icon Victoria Beckham is inspired by Moonrise Kingdom. That’s Suzie’s dress if I’ve ever seen it!
- If you’re in the mood for some fan art, the official Moonrise Kingdom tumblr has got you covered.
Friday News Round-Up 6/29/12
Friends, Romans, Countrymen– welcome back into the fold. As you have surely noticed, yes, things are slowing down- down, but not out. There is more to come and much to look forward to: the ever expanding release of Moonrise, award season, more information about Movie #8, films by related artists, and new features (!) on the site. But for now, let’s get to it.
- (Above) Marta Does 365 does Moonrise Kingdom. I think she captured Sam very well.
- Got a hankering for Tenebaums-inspired paper crafts? Look no further than A Pazitive View. She created an impressive centerpiece for her graduation party.
- Wes wedding items seems to be a trend in the Friday Round-Up and this week is no different. Matt and Jackie’s WA-inspired Save the Date is spot on and is just about perfect– funny, charming, and sweet.
- Vanity Fair interviewed Wes recently and while they covered a lot of familiar ground, there were a few great tidbits about living with Bill and Jason and his appreciation for detail.
- NPR asks and answers “Why Is There So Much Britten in Moonrise Kingdom?” Spoiler alert: because he’s fantastic.
- Style.com rounded up a few Andersonesque designs and boldly asserts that fashion is having a Wes Anderson moment. Why not, right?
- Bob Balaban told Rotten Tomatoes his five favorite films and answered a few questions about Moonrise Kingdom and his career.
Friday News Round-Up 6/22/12
- (Above) Photo of Noye’s Fludde from the set of Moonrise Kingdom by ANTWRANGLERon Flickr.
- Comic illustrator Henry The Worst made this wonderfully idiosyncratic gif after another Rushmore viewing.
- Wes discussed the young adult literature that helped inspire Moonrise Kingdom, including A Wrinkle in Time and Huckleberry Finn.
- The Atlantic has a very sweet piece titled “I Babysat the ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ Kid” by Jared’s former sitter.
- The New Yorker tallies up the damage against dogs in WA’s films. (RIP Buckley and Snoopy)
- Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbauch have teamed up to co-produce Peter Bogdanovich’s new film, Squirrel To The Nuts, which stars WA favorite, Jason Schwartzman (and others.)
- Flavorwire took a great in-depth look at Wes Anderson’s favorite actors.
- The love from The New Yorker just doesn’t end. Richard Brody penned an excellent blog post regarding how MR fits into Wes’s oeuvre. Key line:
Moonrise Kingdom is not a drastic departure from Anderson’s first six features but rather an intensification of their characteristics, or even just their more explicit revelation.
- KidzWorld interviewed to Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman regarding their experiences on the film and acting tips they learned along the way. (As the site title might betray, it’s geared toward a young audience.)
- Finally, watch Bill Murray’s entire, kinda touching speech at the South Atlantic League Hall of Fame, where he was being inducted as co-owner and “Director of Fun” for the Charleston RiverDogs. Also take a look at this shorter package about Bill and the team. (Love that he’s still rocking the Bishop coat.)
Cousin Ben Hosts a MR Screening
Maybe you haven’t yet heard, but Moonrise Kingdom is still expanding in its platform release. In order to keep up spirits and excite new audiences, Funny or Die produced an exclusive video directed by Wes Anderson with Jason Schwartzman as Cousin Ben hosting a screening for the Khaki Scouts. No spoilers, but a very cute addition to the online exclusives.
Jason Schwartzman Interview from Cannes
We’re a little late to post this one, but don’t let its 6-day age turn you off. Jason Schwartzman, interviewed by Jada Yuan for New York Magazine, is at his best. He talks about his childhood experiences, working with Bill Murray, and his friendship with Wes:
So, when Wes calls, do you just drop everything you’re doing to be in his movies? Do you have a say in what you play?
First of all, let me say this: This is one of my best friends in the whole world and I am very, very lucky for that. There are very few people I could say that are my close people that I really, really care about. And I would say that there are an even smaller amount of them that I could say I actually work with, too. And it’s just very lucky. I met Wes on Rushmore. We made a movie together. We stayed in touch through the years. And then this weird thing happens to you personally and you talk about it and then you keep talking, and then all of a sudden it’s twelve years older and you’re like, “Wow, this is my best friend.”
Read the rest of the interview over at The Vulture.
(image via GQ)
Friday News Round-Up 5/25/12
It’s here, it’s finally here! It’s opening day! Buy your tickets early and often to support Wes and luxuriate in his newest cinematic masterpiece (and confidentially, as few of our editors have already seen the film, we can confirm it’s as wonderful as you had hoped.)
With that said, it’s time to get down to brass tacks, here’s your Friday Round-up:
- Slate’s Wes Anderson Bingo cards will be a fun addition to your (many, many) viewings of Moonrise.
- Wes Anderson’s list of 10 favorite New York movies has a few surprises. (Hannah and Her Sisters over Manhattan or Annie Hall? Blasphemy!)
- Jason Schwartzman is still a charmer in his brief Guardian interview, discussing his role in Moonrise.
- The New York Observer’s extremely negative review (click if you dare) is thankfully an outlier. Moonrise Kingdom is currently at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes.
- Forbes has an interesting article, What Wes Anderson Can Teach Us About Advertising, that espouses the power of successful branding.
- In honor of opening day, Skull and Stripe did a Moonrise-inspired fashion round-up.
- For something a bit sweeter, Green Wedding Shoes did a Moonrise-styled elopement photoshoot, including a reenactment of the romantic, “I will meet you in the meadow” scene.
- Finally, we fully endorse the New Yorker’s headline: What To See This Weekend: “Moonrise Kingdom,” Twice. The glowing review isn’t bad, either.
The Guardian’s Interview of Wes
The Guardian has a nice interview with Wes regarding his style, his critical reception, working with children, and his frequent collaborators. Regarding the last, he says:
“I don’t think any of us are considered ‘normal’ people,” he says. “It’s probably more a family of crazy uncles. But there’s an energy that comes from people who are friends. Whatever chemistry is on set is going to be there in the movie, and you want some electricity that you don’t really control.”
The rest of the interview can be read over at The Guardian.
Moonrise Kingdom set footage and interviews.
For all you Wes Anderson fans that can’t hold back your excitement for Moonrise Kingdom, here are four behind the scenes (b-roll) videos from the set that we know you’ll enjoy. Also, cast interviews with Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Tilda Swinton and Bill Murray.
Part: I
See a ton more after the jump.
Continue reading “Moonrise Kingdom set footage and interviews.”