Asteroid City: Insights from the Cast’s Press Conference
Asteroid City: Insights from the Cast’s Press Conference
On July 27th, Wes Anderson’s new film “Asteroid City” hit theaters in Minsk. If you’ve ever dreamed of seeing dozens of movie stars on screen with just one ticket, this is the film for you! The poster alone lists 20 actors, but the actual number is even higher. One unique aspect of this film is its old-school production: it was shot on film instead of digital, and the studio was replaced by a real desert in Spain. Nastassia Kostiukovitch attended the press conference in Cannes dedicated to this film and recorded the cast’s memories of the shoot for “City of Women”.
A Playful Nod to Blockbusters
Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City” is a lighthearted jab at the simultaneous release of blockbusters “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer”. The film features Margot Robbie in a tiny, unnamed role—so small that spotting her becomes a fun challenge for the audience. The film also includes nostalgic references to David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks,” especially in the scenes set in a roadside diner. Anderson, a true cinephile, weaves his extensive knowledge of cinema into his films.
Standout Female Characters
The most intriguing characters in the film are arguably the female ones. Tilda Swinton plays an astronomer who dreams only of the stars, and Scarlett Johansson portrays a fashionable actress from the mid-1950s, reminiscent of Alisa Freindlich’s character in “Office Romance.” Film critics joke that everyone except Bill Murray, Anderson’s talisman actor, starred in this film. Murray was supposed to play a role but fell ill with COVID-19.
Anderson’s Signature Style
One of Anderson’s trademarks is working with his trusted team. This is the fifth time composer Alexandre Desplat has written the music for one of his films. The 1950s-style costumes were designed by Italian Milena Canonero, who began her career working with Stanley Kubrick and has designed for theatrical productions at the Metropolitan Opera and the Vienna Opera. Canonero joined Anderson’s team in 2004 for “The Life Aquatic” and later won one of her four Oscars for the costumes in “The Grand Budapest Hotel.”
Premiere and Upcoming Projects
“Asteroid City” premiered in May at the Cannes Festival. Later this summer, Anderson will present his 37-minute short film based on Roald Dahl’s story “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” at the 80th Venice Film Festival, featuring Benedict Cumberbatch, Ralph Fiennes, and Ben Kingsley.
Behind the Scenes
At the Cannes press conference, director Wes Anderson and actors Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Bryan Cranston, Jeffrey Wright, Steve Park, Rupert Friend, and Maya Hawke shared their experiences creating “Asteroid City.”
Scarlett Johansson: “His Films Are Becoming More Like Theater”
“It’s always a pleasure to return to a place where you’re loved and where you love everyone,” Scarlett Johansson admitted when asked about being back on a Wes Anderson set. “Especially when you’re offered to play an actress and not a dog.” (A jab at her role in Anderson’s “Isle of Dogs,” where she voiced an animated dog.)
“Wes created a tangible cinematic world on set. I think his films are becoming more like theater. You’re surrounded by real objects that you can see and touch. Often, on sets, you lose your emotional charge after a scene, sitting in your trailer waiting for the next call. Wes avoided this, making the shooting process very vibrant and theatrical. It was inspiring for all of us!”
Maya Hawke: “No Pressure, Just Pleasure!”
“I loved that there was no hierarchy on Wes’s sets—the entire cast worked as a unified ensemble. Combined with the beautifully constructed space created for the film and an excellent script, it was a dream for an actor. When the world around you works with you, you just love everyone and everything around you! The entire shooting process was very relaxed, even though the stakes were high, as with any film. But there was no tension or pressure on the actors that often happens. It was all a pleasure!”
Bryan Cranston: “He Directed Us Like a Conductor!”
“This film is like Wes Anderson’s love letter to three forms of art: theater, TV shows, and cinema. On this set, I felt like Wes was directing us like a conductor of an orchestra. In this orchestra, each of us was a musician playing our instrument. We could focus on playing our part and present its sound to the audience.”
“He really directed us like a conductor! ‘Bryan, a little quieter here, please. Scarlett, we need more volume here.’ He made these adjustments on the go, enjoying the dialogue with us during the film’s creation. I remember a scene where Augie (played by Jason Schwartzman) tells the director, ‘I can’t play this because I don’t understand it.’ And the director replies, ‘You don’t need to understand it! Just tell the story.'”
“This is so much like our lives! We all do something without knowing exactly what will come of it. We don’t know how long we’ll live, who we’ll meet… But we must keep living, moving forward, and being the storytellers of our own lives.”
Steve Park: “Wes Showed Us an Animated Storyboard!”
“You know what impressed me? Before the shoot, Wes showed us an animated storyboard of the future film, where he voiced all the characters himself! And I’ll tell you, if you show this work in the cinema, it will be no less interesting than the finished film, really! So we all knew exactly what he wanted from each of us and what story we would tell.”
Wes Anderson: “I Realized How Much I Missed Cinema”
“No, this storyboard is not like the finished film because it doesn’t have the actors and their performances! It’s just my plan, and then comes improvisation, emotions, feelings… And the actors fill my plan with themselves. Only on this shoot did I realize how much I missed cinema and how much I enjoy being surrounded by actors, each of whom brings something of their own to my film.”
Jeffrey Wright: “Wes Always Feeds Us Well!”
“That animation Wes created before the shoot is like scaffolding. He showed us the boundaries of what’s allowed, his construction plan, and within them, you’re free to do what you want, free to improvise. Plus, Wes always feeds us well at the end of the shooting day: delicious dishes and a glass of wine!”
For more information, visit the official Cannes Film Festival website.
