Piping hot take right here: Wes Anderson’s only gotten better as a stylist and as a director since he entirely ditched any pretense of “realism.” We’re being sarcastic — we’ve made this point plenty of times before — but each time we see something new from the walking-and-talking personification of twee-on-screen, we’re reminded of how much of a joy it is to see him at work. The trailer for his new film, the spy “thriller” The Phoenician Scheme, is a delight. For whatever reason, Focus Features wanted you to have a joyful start to the week (especially now that CinemaCon is over), so go ahead and soak in these bizarre vibes.
Peep it:
In lieu of an official synopsis from Focus Features, here’s some information about the project from Indiewire:
“Shot at Babelsburg Studios in Germany where Anderson produced ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ and ‘Isle of Dogs,’ The Phoenician Scheme’ sees del Toro as Zsa-zsa Korda, one of the richest men in Europe and father to Threaplton’s character, Sister Liesl. Cera will portray her tutor, Bjorn Lund, with all three being wrapped up in a globe-trotting conflict involving the family business.
Speaking with French publication Le Monde in 2023 as he was planning the project, Anderson said of the film, “My next feature film will be linear, with Benicio Del Toro in every shot. I can’t tell you much more than that except that it will be about espionage, a father-daughter relationship, and, let’s say, with a rather dark tone.”
The Phoenician Scheme will arrive in select theaters on May 30 before expanding to wide release on June 3. What a title, too; as awful as it is to spell, it’s just as fun to say. Try it, even if you’re at the office or on a job site and are worried people will look at you strangely. It’s worth it.