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The next Wes Anderson-directed film, The French Dispatch, is right around the corner for Aussies, and boy, does it look good.
Starring a superstar ensemble cast and with a uniquely Anderson-heavy cinematic lens, the movie is his first live-action project since The Grand Budapest Hotel in 2014. Anyway, because we’re impatient and can’t wait till it drops in three months’ time, here’s a breakdown of everything we know about the film so far.
What is The French Dispatch about?
The French Dispatch is an upcoming Wes Anderson-directed film about the lives of people who work in journalism. Specifically, it follows a collection of stories around the final issue of an American magazine in the fictional French city of Ennui-sur-Blasé. These vary from student protests to character profiles on locked-up culinary geniuses.
Where can I watch the trailer for The French Dispatch?
You can watch the trailer for Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch right here.
Who stars in Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch?
Like most Wes Anderson projects, The French Dispatch boasts an incredibly talented and stacked cast of people who’ve previously worked with the acclaimed director.
The cast includes Bill Murray, Adrien Brody, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Owen Wilson, Timothée Chalamet, Saorise Ronan, Léa Seydoux, Benicio Del Toro, Jeffrey Wright, Willem Dafoe, Jason Schwartzman, Christoph Waltz, Mathieu Amalric, and Elizabeth Moss. The film is also narrated by Anjelica Huston, another Wes Anderson favourite.
When is the release date for The French Dispatch?
The French Dispatch is set for an Australian release date of November 11, 2021.
It’s unclear whether there will be a digital alternative to watching it in theatres when it releases, given that some states and territories may still be in some form of lockdown by then.
Is the film based on a true story?
The French Dispatch is not entirely based on a true story but some of its characters and plot are loosely inspired by director Wes Anderson’s love for The New Yorker.
According to a 2020 article by the publication, Bill Murray’s character, Arthur Howitzer Jr, is a send-up of The New Yorker’s founding editor Harold Ross. Adrien Brody’s Julian Cadazio character is a fictional take on Lord Duveen, a man who was part of a six-part New Yorker profile piece in 1951. Jeffrey Wright’s Roebuck Wright is “a mashup of James Baldwin and [New Yorker writer] AJ darling. “
A scene with Frances McDormand in the film is apparently inspired by a two-part article from a 1968 issue of The New Yorker by Avis Gallant called The Events in May: A Paris Notebook.
Where was the project filmed?
While the film is set in a fictional French town, the majority of The French Dispatch was filmed in Rome, according to Condé Nast Traveller.
Where can I watch other Wes Anderson films?
You can watch all of Wes Anderson’s films on streaming services in Australia:
- Fantastic Mr. Fox is available on Netflix and Prime Video.
- Isle of Dogs is available to rent or buy on Apple TV or Prime Video.
- The Grand Budapest Hotel is available to rent or buy on Apple TV or Prime Video.
- The Darjeeling Limited is available to rent or buy on Apple TV or Prime Video.
- The Royal Tenenbaums is available to rent or buy on Apple TV or Prime Video.
- The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is available to rent or buy on Apple TV or Prime Video.
Between Spider-Man: No Way Home and The Umbrella Academy season 3, there are a lot of great TV shows and films still to come in 2021. Check out our quintessential guide to them all here.