If we initially expected Wes Anderson’s next film “the Phoenician Scheme,” to have a smaller cast, then we’ve just been proven wrong.
The film, which just wrapped production in Germany, is said to be planted in the “espionage” genre, tackling a father-daughter relationship, and we expected the main actors in this one to just be Benicio Del Toro, Michael Cera, Bill Murray, Mia Threapleton, and Riz Ahmed. Now, the full ensemble has been revealed, and many familiar faces are back in this one.
A German crew posting has Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Willem Dafoe, Rupert Friend, Benedict Cumberbatch. Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Bryan Cranston having joined the ensemble. Anderson just can’t help it. Anderson’s go-to DP, Robert Yeoman, is sitting this one out, instead we have great cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel lensing ‘Phoenician.’
I have counted 19 actors, so far, as being part of “The Phoenician Scheme” …
Benicio del Toro
Michael Cera
Bill Murray
Charlotte Gainsbourg (1st Wife)
Willem Dafoe (Attorney)
Antonia Desplat (2nd Wife)
Mia Threapleton (Liesl)
Rupert Friend (Excaliber)
Benedict Cumberbatch (Uncle Nubar)
Scarlett Johansson (Cousin)
Tom Hanks (Leland)
Riz Ahmed (Prince Farouk)
Bryan Cranston (Reagan)
Tonio Arango (Desert Assasin)
Aysha Samuel (Millita)
Sabine Hollweck (Cook)
Imke Büchel (Gouvernante)
Imad Mardnli (Farouk’s Bodyguard)
Jaime Ferkic (The Chauffeur)
Roman Coppola is being credited as co-writer on the project. This isn’t the first time Coppola has partnered with Anderson — he also co-wrote “The Darjeeling Limited” and “Moonrise Kingdom.” The script for “The Phoenician Scheme” is said to have been written around the time of those films, in the late aughts.