STACK #229 November 2023

MOVIE FEATURE

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WES ANDERSON OUTQUIRKS HIMSELF WITH ASTEROID CITY

In common with most of Wes Anderson’s other lms, Asteroid City has a delicious cast. Words Gill Pringle

T he film stars Steve Carrell, Margot Brody, and Anderson tells STACK that the film’s central figure is longtime collaborator Jason Schwartzman. "When Roman Coppola and I began creating this together, we wanted to write a part for Jason at the centre of a movie that would be something he hadn't done before,” writer director Anderson explains. “And we didn't really know what it was, but we had a few notions about what this character was going through,” he adds, in his typical whimsical style. “The other thing was, we thought we'd tell a story of the play they're putting on, and then we expanded it to the desert. And I guess it then became something like this interaction of a black and white New York stage, and a colour western cinema kind of story. And everybody's Robbie, Tom Hanks, Jeff Goldblum, Maya Hawke, Bryan Cranston, and Adrien

both an actor, and the role they're playing – they kind of mix together. And that's how I got the idea for Asteroid City .” Confused? Yes. We are, too – even after seeing the movie. Arguably, Anderson's films – which include Bottle Rocket (1996), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), Moonrise Kingdom (2012), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), and, most recently, The French Dispatch (2021) – have

Wes Anderson?’” says Hanks, who plays a bossy grandfather figure in Asteroid City . “I would imagine [there’d be] spectacle, [he’d be] pompous or smoking a pipe. And we just talked. But I don't know if I said at that point, ‘Hey, come on man, let me into that rep company of yours. Give me a call!’ “I haven't seen a Wes

always been more about the experience, and less about the story. A newcomer to Anderson’s merry troupe, Tom Hanks’ involvement came about after a chance restaurant meeting in Rome in 2005. “We were there, and part of it was like, ‘That's

Anderson movie that I didn't wish that I was in,” he continues. “So, it was great to be a part of this. And the role was great. I think he used the reference of, ‘We're looking for a retired Ronald Reagan type', and I went, ‘I'm your man. I can do that.’”

• Astroid City is out Nov 15

JASON STATHAM GETS CHUMMY IN MEG 2: THE TRENCH

If you thought The Meg was outrageous, wait until you get a load of Meg 2: The Trench . Words Glenn Cochrane

J ason Statham returns for seconds in this larger-than-life sequel that has his specialist diver character Jonas Taylor working to fight environmental crimes,

“This time around, we have some more scares, a little more carnage in and out of the water, two globally popular actors in Jason Statham and Wu Jing, some new cast members, more action... and more Megs.” Adds producer Belle Avery: “You can’t take yourself too seriously when you’re doing a giant shark movie! Like Jonas said in the first film, ‘Meg versus Man is a slaughter.’ So, you’re going to see a little bit of that in this one, too - but fun slaughter,” she laughs.

Meg 2: The Trench is a far fetched thrill ride that will keep creature feature lovers glued to the screen. “There was a little bit of

• Meg 2: The Trench is out Nov 1

as well as exploring the depths of the Mariana Trench, where the prehistoric megalodon from the first movie was found. Like the original film, Jonas is chased by giant sharks and puts up a fight that is so ludicrous that it’s unmissable. In the tradition of the classic sharksploitation movies of old,

uncertainty with the first film, in how the comedy would play for the audience,” admits producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura. “But they really bought into the notion of ‘Let’s not take ourselves too seriously - let’s have some fun and some scares’.

14 NOVEMBER 2023

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