Wes Anderson Says Christoph Waltz Has Small Role In 'The French Dispatch' & Reveals More Details Including Possible Late-2019 Release

There are different levels of secrecy in filmmaking right now. On one extreme you have Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm, who keep every morsel of plot and casting tightly under wraps until the very last moment. Then, on the other hand, you have Wes Anderson, who’s willing to tell you just about anything you want to know about his upcoming film “The French Dispatch,” if you’re curious and ask nicely.

Speaking to the French outlet Charente Libre, Anderson spoke at length about shooting in France for his upcoming film, while also dropping a bit more information about casting and the plot.

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First off, the interview is happening because Anderson is back in the town of Angouleme, continuing work on “The French Dispatch.” And this time, he’s brought along actors that haven’t shot with him previously on the film, including Rupert Friend, Alex Lawther, and perhaps most surprisingly, Christoph Waltz.

Friend is probably best known for his work on the Showtime series “Homeland,” as well as the films “Pride & Prejudice” and “The Death of Stalin.” Lawther, on the other hand, is relatively new to the industry, as the young actor is probably most known for the series “The End of the Fucking World.”

However, Waltz is one of the best actors on the planet, winning two Oscars for his roles in the Quentin Tarantino films “Django Unchained” and “Inglorious Basterds.” In addition to those roles, the actor has been recently seen in the James Cameron/Robert Rodriguez film “Alita: Battle Angel” and also “Downsizing.”

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Sadly, it appears that Bill Murray’s previously announced role in “The French Dispatch” is set to be a rather minor one. Anderson confirms that the actor was only on set for two days, but was in France a week longer because… it’s France.

The filmmaker also describes the basic premise of his latest film, which he says follows the life of an American journalist attempting to fight for what he wants to write about. However, Anderson says it’s not a freedom of the press movie, but does include a bit of social commentary, as it’s unavoidable when covering this sort of story.

Anderson also dropped a welcome bit of information that film fans might get the chance to see “The French Dispatch” before the end of the year. The director said that no release date has been decided but he thinks that he could be finished by the end of 2019. So, maybe there’s going to be a Wes Anderson-sized present under fans’ Christmas trees this year?