There’s a brand-new Wes Anderson movie coming to the big screen this month, with The Phoenician Scheme arriving at Cineworld from May 23rd (tickets go on sale soon). An uproarious black comedy, it stars Benicio Del Toro as a wealthy businessman who leaves his entire fortune to his daughter, a nun (played by Kate Winslet’s daughter Mia Threapleton) – thus making her a target for scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists and determined assassins. With plenty of twists and turns, and a cast that also includes Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Michael Cera, Benedict Cumberbatch, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe and Bryan Cranston, this is one film you won’t want to miss.
To celebrate the release of The Phoenician Scheme, we’re hosting a special Wes Anderson Season at Cineworld (May 10th-16th), during which we’ll be screening some of the director’s best works. Here’s a full rundown of what films are showing, along with the reasons why you need to watch them on the big screen…
The Royal Tenenbaums (showing from May 10th)
The best Wes Anderson movie for fans of sprawling, dysfunctional family dramas
Anderson’s 2001 tragicomedy sees a family of former child prodigies (played by, among others, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller and Luke Wilson) reunited by their father’s (Gene Hackman) faked terminal illness, an event that forces them to confront their failures and seek redemption. In equal parts funny and melancholy, The Royal Tenenbaums received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
Anderson recently confessed that Hackman wasn’t enthusiastic about playing his role, but ended up loving the film. “He wasn’t gung-ho to be there,” he told Empire. “But he was the guy for the part. I don’t think he ever felt that during the movie. I think he felt it when he saw it when it was finished. He did tell me then that he liked the movie very much. But we felt it every time we made a scene with him. He was doing something that had a certain epic electricity to it.”
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The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (showing from May 12th)
The best Wes Anderson movie for dreamers who crave an offbeat, oceanic adventure
Another Wes Anderson movie to feature a spectacular cast, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) stars the legendary Bill Murray as a washed-up ocean explorer seeking revenge on a mythical shark, with the help of a ragtag ship crew that includes his maybe-son (Owen Wilson), a pregnant journalist (Cate Blanchett), and a Brazilian guitarist who sings David Bowie songs in Portuguese. Described as a “minor masterpiece”, this deadpan comedy is resolutely eccentric yet irresistibly charming.
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Fantastic Mr. Fox (showing from May 13th)
The best Wes Anderson movie for lovers of witty, charming stop-motion animation
Something of a curveball in Wes Anderson’s career, Fantastic Mr Fox (2009) saw the director take on a stop-motion adaptation of the classic Roald Dahl novel, with George Clooney playing the thieving antihero alongside a cast of A-listers that includes Meryl Streep, Bill Murray and Owen Wilson. While it stems from a children’s book, Anderson has said that he didn’t specifically Set out to make a movie for kids, telling Collider: “We were just trying to make it seem like Roald Dahl. And clearly it worked, with Rotten Tomatoes describing the movie as “a delightfully funny feast for the eyes with multi-generational appeal”.
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The Grand Budapest Hotel (showing from May 16th)
The best Wes Anderson movie for those who want a fast-paced, visually stunning caper
Anderson had to wait until his fifth movie to land his first Oscar, but then four came along at once. Set in Eastern Europe against the backdrop of an emerging Fascist regime, The Grand Budapest Hotel stars Ralph Fiennes as a charismatic, meticulous concierge who’s framed for murder over a priceless painting. After escaping from prison, he, along with his loyal protégé (Tony Revolori) embarks on a quest to prove his innocence. Also featuring Tilda Swinton, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Adrien Brody and others, this pacy, intelligent comedy-drama is undoubtedly one of the director’s most riveting.
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