The king of quirk himself, Wes Anderson, has announced an impressive slate of actors for his upcoming film Moon Rise Kingdom. On board for his next feature, his first live action film since 2007’s The Darjeeling Limited, are Frances McDormand, Bruce Willis, Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton and, of course, Bill Murray. Apart from Murray (who has been in all of Anderson’s movies since Rushmore), these actors are all new to the Wes Anderson universe. [Deadline]
The film will tell the story of two young lovers (whose casting have yet to be announced) that run away from their 1960s New England town. The rest of the town, however, misinterprets their disappearance and sets on a course to rescue the pair. Oscar winner McDormand will play the role of the girl’s mother who is married to Murray’s character but has an affair with the town sheriff (Willis). Norton, who has been taking on quirkier roles as of late, will play a scout leader that is part of the town’s search. Swinton, who is always the most interesting piece of any casting news, will be playing a character that has yet to be revealed (how mysterious!)
It is refreshing to see Anderson shaking things up with his usual players and taking on actors that will probably fit in well with his eccentric universe (McDormand and Swinton particularly) but it will be interesting to see how the likes of Willis and Norton fare here. Anderson plans to begin shooting this film in the spring.
What do you think of Anderson’s casting choices for his next live-action film?