Wes Anderson‘s next film now has a title, and a star. According to Deadline, Johnny Depp will star in Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel. This will mark the first time the actor and the director will have worked together and Anderson will re-unite with the team that brought Moonrise Kingdom together. Given the success of the indie arthouse film, it makes perfect sense.
Depp is currently working on The Lone Ranger which after some much publicized set backs, seems to be rolling ahead more smoothly. Scenes from the upcoming film were screened during a Comic-Con panel with Disney studios to an admiring crowd. This is a good sign for both Depp and director Gore Verbinski, who were both almost out the door when the initial budget of $275 million was balked at.
Although Depp was originally scheduled to shoot Rob Marshall‘s The Thin Man, that production was indefinitely post-poned Depp’s schedule now has an opening. It’s always nice to see him stretch his muscles in less mainstream projects like this so colour me excited.
There are no other names attached to this project yet on the cast side of things, although actors who have worked with Anderson before, like Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, Edward Norton and Jeff Goldblum, are reportedly being courted.
Reports have also suggested Anderson is chasing Jude Law and Angela Lansbury for roles. Deadline also confirms that along with Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin and Indian Paintbrush’s Steven Rales will produce.
So, are you ready to step back inside Wes Anderson‘s world with Johnny Depp at your side? I couldn’t imagine better company!