Focus Features is once again partnering with Wes Anderson. The indie studio has secured the worldwide distribution rights for Anderson’s latest film, “The Phoenician Scheme,” a star-studded story centered around a family business.
Focus is well-acquainted with Anderson’s intricately designed, dollhouse-like worlds, having previously released “Asteroid City” and “Moonrise Kingdom.”
The former achieved a solid box office performance for an arthouse film, bringing in $53.8 million, while the latter grossed $68.3 million and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
Alongside directing “The Phoenician Scheme,” Anderson also wrote the screenplay, with the story co-developed by Roman Coppola.
Focus Features will handle the film’s domestic distribution, with a limited release scheduled for May 30, 2025, before expanding nationwide on June 6. Universal Pictures, Focus’s parent company, will oversee international distribution.
Benicio del Toro leads the ensemble cast as Zsa-zsa Korda, one of Europe’s wealthiest individuals, with Mia Threapleton portraying his daughter and Michael Cera playing her tutor.
The film boasts an impressive roster of talent, including Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Riz Ahmed, Mathieu Amalric, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, Richard Ayoade, Rupert Friend, Hope Davis, and Benedict Cumberbatch.
Anderson recently won an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.” His celebrated filmography also includes “Rushmore,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” and “The Royal Tenenbaums.”
“The Phoenician Scheme” is produced under Anderson’s American Empirical Pictures banner, in collaboration with longtime partners Steven Rales of Indian Paintbrush, Jeremy Dawson, and John Peet. Filming took place in Germany, in association with Studio Babelsberg.
