Asteroid City: comedy by Wes Anderson, about an astronomy convention in a 1950s U.S. desert town, where junior scientists and senior citizens cross paths.
Plot and background
In the barren southwest of the USA in the fifties lies the tranquil village of Asteroid City with 87 inhabitants*, a snack bar, a hotel with ten rooms, a huge crater and an observatory. Here, the Junior Stargazers unexpectedly receive an uninvited visitor who comes to town from far away. Whether the alien is the bearer of an important message from the universe, or even has answers to existential questions, remains unclear at first, but the rumor mill quickly comes to a boil.
The small town is declared a restricted zone by the military and war photographer Augie Steenbeck (Jason Schwartzman), who traveled with his four children especially for his son, “Junior Stargazer” honorary member Woodrow (Jake Ryan), is now stuck in Asteroid City. While Augie’s father-in-law (Tom Hanks) takes care of the grandchildren, America’s knowledge of space suddenly seems to have major gaps and nuclear bombs are being tested in the background, newly widowed Augie finds a friend in actress Midge Campbell (Scarlett Johansson).
The trailer promises a colorful cinematic experience with witty dialogue and headstrong characters:
“Asteroid City” – background, cast, theatrical release
With “Asteroid City,” the latest film from cult director Wes Anderson (“Grand Budapest Hotel”) hits theaters two years after “The French Dispatch” on June 15, 2023. Anderson also wrote the screenplay for his pastel-toned film, based on an idea he developed with Roman Coppola.
The cast gathers some of the biggest Hollywood stars of our time with Scarlett Johansson (“Black Widow”), Tom Hanks (“Forrest Gump”), Jeffrey Wright (“Westworld”), Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad”), Liev Schreiber (“X-Men Origins: Wolverine”), Rupert Friend (“Homeland”), Maya Hawke (“Stranger Things”), Steve Carell (“The Office”), Matt Dillon (“Crazy for Mary”), Hong Chau (“The Whale”), Willem Dafoe (“The Lighthouse”), Margot Robbie (“Barbie”) and Jeff Goldblum (“Jurassic Park”). And some of Wes Anderson’s favorite actors and actresses, who appear again and again in his works, are also represented in “Asteroid City”. These include Tilda Swinton (“We Need to Talk About Kevin”), Jason Schwartzman (“Darjeeling Limited”), Edward Norton (“Fight Club”) and Adrien Brody (“The Pianist”).
