Jeffrey Wright and Richard Ayoade have joined the cast of Wes Anderson’s next feature film The Phoenician Scheme, which has landed at Focus Features. The film is set for a limited release on May 30, 2025, followed by a wide expansion on June 6, 2025. Focus, Anderson, and Indian Paintbrush are reuniting for the third time after previous collaborations on Moonrise Kingdom and Asteroid City. Universal Pictures will handle the international rollout.
There’s already buzz about The Phoenician Scheme potentially premiering at Cannes, which tracks since Anderson’s last visit to the festival with Asteroid City earned a near seven-minute standing ovation.
Anderson co-wrote the script with his longtime collaborator Roman Coppola. The film tells the story of a wealthy family and their tangled family business. Wright joins an incredible cast, including Benicio del Toro as Zsa-Zsa Korda, one of Europe’s richest men; Mia Threapleton as Sister Liesl, his daughter who’s also a nun; and Michael Cera as their tutor, Bjorn Lund. The ensemble also features Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Scarlett Johansson, Riz Ahmed, Mathieu Amalric, Richard Ayoade, Rupert Friend, Hope Davis, and Benedict Cumberbatch.
Filmed in Germany in partnership with Studio Babelsberg, The Phoenician Scheme was produced by Anderson under his American Empirical Pictures banner, with longtime collaborators Steven Rales of Indian Paintbrush, Jeremy Dawson, and John Peet. Anderson is known for bringing his trusted team back for each project, creating a tight-knit, almost family-like atmosphere on set.
With Jeffrey Wright in the mix and Wes Anderson behind the camera, The Phoenician Scheme is shaping up to be another meticulously crafted, delightfully quirky adventure. Go ahead and mark your calendars for summer 2025—this is one you won’t want to miss.