As Wes Anderson fans know, the director puts a lot of thought into the details of his films, and directing “Asteroid City” in this particular decade was no exception. The filmmaker offered a myriad of reasons, some practical and some thematic, when it came to choosing to set his new film in the 1950s.
“It becomes east coast and west mantle and theater and film,” Anderson explained. “There are a series of dichotomies. And one of the central things was that we wanted to create a character for Jason Schwartzman that was different from what he’s done before. Schwartzman is a mainstay of Anderson’s work and has been a part of many of his on-camera and behind-the-scenes films.
“The things that go into making a movie eventually become too much to pin down,” Anderson continued. “So many things are added to the mix, which I love. And part of what the film is about is what you can’t control in life. In a way, inventing a movie is one of those things,” he concluded.
Well, so far it seems that this complex web of different ideas has been well received so far. At press time, “Asteroid City” is sitting at a comfortable 80% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 35 reviews. As for fans of Anderson’s beloved filmography, they’ll have to wait until June 16 to experience the new film for themselves.