Let it be known that in the midst of the unshakable presence of tried-and-true IPs, cinematic superheroes, the Minions for some reason, and whatever they’re trying to do with the Jurassic franchise these days, the age of the auteur is far from a bygone one.
Indeed, Tarantino and Scorsese are both stepping up to the plate with new features that will be in our hands before long, and Brandon Cronenberg has established himself as a worthy successor of his father David’s historic reputation. But, today we received a transmission from the one and only Wes Anderson in the form of the first Asteroid City trailer, granting 2023 its most palpable reminder yet that the auteur film is no endangered species.
Billed as a science fiction romance comedy drama film, Asteroid City follows a group of students and parents who gather for a Junior Stargazer retreat in the fictional Asteroid City in the non-fictional year of 1955, all of them looking forward to a weekend full of scientific competition and recreation. But as they gaze at the stars, the stars quickly answer back with a UFO, plunging the nuances of the weekend into marked uncertainty.
With a cast consisting of Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Rupert Friend, Maya Hawke, Steve Carrell, Hong Chau, Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie, Tony Revolori, and Jeff Goldblum, the only thing more Wes Anderson than the film’s cast is that unmistakable aesthetic, with off-the-chain saturation and camera angles that Anderson may as well have a copyright on.
Asteroid City releases to theaters on June 16.
