Early this summer we got the delightful news that Wes Anderson was returning to the world of live-action and embarking on production soon in France for his 10th feature film. The four-month shoot, occurring in the southwest commune of Angoulême, was for a project that will take place just after World War II, but other details were sparse. Now, with production commencing, we’ve learned much more.
Although rumored to be a musical it, in fact, will not be. Rather, IndieWire reports the film–titled The French Dispatch–is “a love letter to journalists set at an outpost of an American newspaper in 20th-century Paris and centers on three storylines.” They also have some exciting casting updates, one which confirms a rumored player. Timothée Chalamet dropped in an interview this fall that before he shoots Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: “I’m doing something with one of my favorite directors ever; a really beloved American art house director.” It is now confirmed that it is in fact for Wes Anderson’s new film.
Also joining Chalamet is Benicio del Toro and Jeffrey Wright, alongside Anderson favorites Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, and Tilda Swinton. It’s not confirmed yet if the rumored Brad Pitt, Natalie Portman, and Léa Seydoux are involved, but with production already a few weeks deep, expect updates soon. With production concluding early next year, there’s a chance we’ll see The French Dispatch before 2019 is over.