Focus Features Nabs Worldwide Rights to Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City’

Focus Features has picked up the worldwide releasing rights to Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City.

The film, written and directed by Anderson, reunites the auteur, Focus and Indian Paintbrush after their collaboration on the 2012 title Moonrise Kingdom. Asteroid City is billed as a poetic meditation on the meaning of life as it tells the story of a fictional American desert town in and around 1955 and its Junior Stargazer convention, which brings together students and parents from across the country for scholarly competition, rest and recreation, comedy, drama, romance and more.

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Focus and Universal International will handle worldwide distribution on Asteroid City, which is based on a story by Anderson and Roman Coppola. The film is produced by Anderson and Steven Rales, founder of Indian Paintbrush, which has financed Anderson’s movies, and Jeremy Dawson.

Asteroid City, which is in postproduction after a shoot in Spain, has a cast that includes Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Ed Norton, Adrien Brody, Liev Schreiber, Hope Davis and Stephen Park.

The ensemble cast also includes Rupert Friend, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon, Hong Chau, Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie, Tony Revolori, Jake Ryan, Grace Edwards, Aristou Meehan, Sophia Lillis, Ethan Lee, Jeff Goldblum and Rita Wilson.

“We are beyond thrilled to be the global home for Asteroid City, bringing Focus back in business with Wes and his producing partners,” Peter Kujawski, chairman of Focus Features, said in a statement.

Anderson is also known for films like The Royal Tenenbaums, Isle of Dogs, The Grand Budapest Hotel and The French Dispatch.

Anderson is represented by UTA and Jackoway Tyerman.

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