The whimsical and occasionally uncanny Wes Anderson is directing a new film titled Asteroid City. Anderson and Roman Coppola wrote the story which features a 1950’s sci-fi trope. Americana meets alien invasion in a saturated desert town. This feels like Area 51 if it were inhabited with Hollywood’s greatest talent. I am not kidding, this cast list is beyond talented. Steve Carell, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, and Margot Robbie are just a few of the many characters to be featured in the film.
Anderson has directed numerous award winning films such as Fantastic Mr. Fox, Moonrise Kingdom, and Rushmore. However, I am extremely excited to see his take on a sci-fi movie, especially with the label as a “comedy”. Similar to Moonrise Kingdom, it is the actions of the children that bring all of the characters together, but in this case for the Stargazer/Space Cadet convention. This convention is spontaneously interrupted by (assumingly) alien activity.
Asteroid City aesthetically feels like Lana Del Rey’s “Ride” music video and I am here for it. The costumes in the trailer alone are immaculate, and the setting makes moving to the desert romantic. I’m excited to see what Anderson and Copolla have in store with Asteroid City.
If you’re not a Wes Anderson fan, you should at least watch this for the visuals of Scarlett Johansson.