Just weeks after its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, Wes Anderson‘s “Asteroid City” hits limited screens on June 16 before opening wide on June 23. That’s a good turnaround from premiere to theatrical release, but par for the course for Mr. Anderson. But the turnaround between “Asteroid City” and the director’s next project, “The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar” might be even more impressive. The Film Stage reports that Anderson already has that film with Netflix in the can, with his 13th feature already in the works.
“Asteroid City” cinematographer Robert Yeoman had the scoop about Anderson’s crazy recent productivity. But while Yeoman had plenty of details about “Henry Sugar,” he had little to say about Anderson’s next film. “I’m out of the loop on that one,” Yeoman said. But [Wes Anderson] works. He’s a workaholic. I’ll give him that. We jumped right from “Asteroid City” into the “Henry Sugar” thing. We were in Spain and then we went to England. He works harder than anybody. He’s just always got something going on. I’m a little more like: take some time off and enjoy my life,” Yeoman joked.
“Henry Sugar” is Anderson’s second Roald Dahl adaptation after 2009’s “The Fantastic Mr. Fox.” The director’s 12th film stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, Rupert Friend, and Richard Ayoade. The film features four separate stories, with ensemble member playing different roles in each one. And Yeoman has details about the movie’s narrative structure. “Three of them were shot on a stage. One of them is out in the jungle,” Yeoman explain. “So it was quite a challenge to create all this on a stage. And each one has a very distinct look to it. We shot 16mm for the whole thing, which when I saw the finished film, the first thing I wrote Wes was I just love the 16mm. It has such a distinct look to it. But again, he’s pushing the boundaries and it’s a very different style, in some ways, than what Wes usually does.”
What else did Yeoman say about “Henry Sugar”? “When I saw the film––I saw it a couple of months ago, they were color timing––I loved it when we worked on it, but when I saw it on the screen, I was like, ‘This is really cool,'” the cinematographer continued. “It was really amazing. And I’ll be curious how everyone reacts to it. It’s a little bit different style than what Wes ordinarily does. I think a lot of it has to do with, when he did those animated movies, it changed how he approaches making a film now. And that one in particular, we knew there would be something that would be put on the screen up on top or something, because it was on a stage. Everything was forced perspective. And so it was a little tricky oftentimes. But, you know, it challenges you. And when you can pull it off, you get a great deal of satisfaction with that.”
Yeoman’s comments about “Henry Sugar” follow up Rupert Friend’s to Variety last month. “It could change, but when we made it, there were four stories drawn from a Roald Dahl , which are his slightly darker, twisted ones that he wrote for adults,” Rupert Friend said. “Wes took four of them and put together a smaller troupe of actors…We each play in around two of the stories and kind of change roles. I think Ralph might be in all of them. My two are “The Ratcatcher” and “The Swan.” I grew up completely obsessed with Dahl. I actually had his obituary on my bedroom door. I was so saddened when he died [in 1990]. This film was a dream come true.”
It’s safe to surmise that “The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar” will be on the Fall festival circuit. But what about Anderson’s next project after that? Well, The Film Stage says Michael Cera (who was supposed to be in “Asteroid City”) is in talks to star in Anderson’s thirteenth film, with Jeff Goldblum and Benicio Del Toro also circling. And given the giant ensemble casts of “Asteroid City” and “The French Dispatch,” it’s safe to say many more actors will join the cast of this one. Plot details are under wraps, of course, but if “Henry Sugar” indeed premieres at a Fall festival, expect Anderson to start shooting this project later this year.
So, that’s potentially three new Wes Anderson projects in the next year and a half. That’s surely the biggest creative burst of the director’s career by a wide margin.