(Updated 06/09/2023)
ASTEROID CITY is a UFO story as only Wes Anderson can tell it. In 1955, a widower and his children are stuck in a southwestern American town where a "Junior Stargazer" convention is set to honor the achievements of students and teachers. And then a UFO appears, throwing the convention into chaos.
Of course, being a Wes Anderson movie, the relationships between all the characters are probably more important than the UFO. This seems like Anderson working firmly in his ROYAL TENENBAUMS mode, with Tom Hanks appearing here as a remote authority figure akin to Gene Hackman's character. There's a full cast of Anderson regulars, not to mention newcomers like Scarlett Johansson, who plays an actress dealing with her own issues.
The trailer for ASTEROID CITY is gorgeous and funny. Check it out below and learn more about the movie.
When Can We See Asteroid City?
Focus Features will release ASTEROID CITY exclusively in movie theatres on June 16.
What Is Wes Anderson's Asteroid City About?
There are a couple of layers to the story in ASTEROID CITY. The core is the intersection of characters in a fictional town in the American Southwest, where a "Junior Stargazer" convention is broken up by government action — and where the young Stargazers get to see more than they ever expected.
But as you watch the trailer, you might get a sense that the movie looks kind of unreal, and there's a reason for that. We'll let you see the film for more details. Wes Anderson scripted the movie, based on a story he wrote with Roman Coppola.
Watch the Asteroid City Trailer
The colors and images in this fantastic trailer place the movie in a very cool midpoint between vintage postcards and the backgrounds for old Warner Bros. cartoons illustrated by people like Peter Alvarado and Maurice Noble.
It's fun to see stars like Tom Hanks and Scarlett Johannson playing squarely towards the Wes Anderson template, but we expect that the two younger leads will be the true heart of the movie.
The Cast of Asteroid City
One of the most appealing aspects of a new Wes Anderson movie is always the ensemble cast he assembles for each project. Anderson has outdone himself this time with a collection of returning regulars and new faces. Fisher Stevens, who plays a role, called it "probably the best, the wildest cast since THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI."
The rest of the cast includes Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody, Margot Robbie, Rupert Friend, Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, and Hope Davis. Bryan Cranston narrates part of the movie, and the appearance by Jeff Goldblum has been noted as a highlight ever since the movie premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.
Also appearing are Jeffrey Wright, Liev Schreiber, Tony Revolori, and Matt Dillon. Then there's Sophia Lillis, Steve Park, Maya Hawke, Jake Ryan, Ethan Josh Lee, Edward Norton, Steve Carell, Hong Chau, Willem Dafoe, Grace Edwards, Aristou Meehan, and Rita Wilson. Spectacular!
Asteroid City Filmed in Spain
Fittingly for a period story set in an American desert town, ASTEROID CITY was filmed in Spain. (As were many Euro Westerns in the '60s and '70s.) The original plan was to film in Rome, but the pandemic forced some changes. Still, it might have all been for the best. The cast stayed together in a hotel that had once been a monastery, and Adrien Brody said that it felt like being "in an actors’ summer camp." All of which sounds like a lovely experience for the cast and crew, and one that hopefully carries across on screen.
ASTEROID CITY opens on June 23.
All images courtesy of Focus Features.