Wes Anderson's Asteroid City Is a Retrofuture First Contact Film

You can always count on Anderson to assemble a massive, exemplary cast that will definitely, consistently include Jason Schwartzman.

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Screenshot: Universal

Wes Anderson’s newest film, Asteroid City, has the same bright-lit and bold aesthetic he’s come to be known for over the course of his career. There is, as always, a bit of a twist. This time, there’s aliens... maybe?

ASTEROID CITY | Official Trailer (Universal Studios) - HD

The trailer follows a group of people quarantined in Asteroid City during an annual celebration after reports of an alien encounter reach the ears of the U.S. government. With a charming amount of kitsch, the trailer evokes everything we’ve come to love about Anderson’s films, and promises a mystery to unravel at the theaters.

So let’s see here. The cast features Jason Schwartzman, naturally—and there are some other Anderson staples here, along with some newcomers: Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Liev Schreiber, Hope Davis, Stephen Park, Rupert Friend, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon, Hong Chau, Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie, Jake Ryan, Tony Revolori, and Jeff Goldblum. Whew. If any movie had any two of these people it would get attention, but this feels wildly stacked.

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Asteroid City will premiere in theaters on July 21.


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