"Asteroid City" is a 2023 American science fiction romantic comedy-drama film written, directed, and co-produced by Wes Anderson, based on a story by Anderson and Roman Coppola. The film follows the transformative events that occur at the 1955 Junior Stargazer annual convention. The film also offers a glimpse of the beige-toned desert landscape of the "asteroid city", which was filmed in Spain.
"Asteroid City" was shot on film and did not require the use of lights.
This 11th film by director Wes Anderson features a cast of A-list stars and famous names such as Maya Hawke, Scarlett Johansson, Margot Robbie, Steve Carell, Sophia Lillis, and Tom Hanks.
"Asteroid City" has intrigued many audiences because it doesn't use any lights for daytime scenes, both interior and exterior. "Asteroid City" written and directed by Wes Anderson is set at a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention, held in a fictional desert town in 1955 - a time when the concepts of the universe and space are exploding. The convention brings together students and parents from all over the country to compete for scholarships, as well as relax, watch comedy, enjoy romance, and more. However, strange earthquakes that no one knows the cause of have brought fears about whether aliens could be hiding among the people living in Asteroid City.
The film, which offers a glimpse of the desert landscape and beige-toned theme of the “asteroid city,” was shot in Spain.
"Asteroid City" is a work of art that is full of the same aesthetic composition and color as Wes Anderson's successful films. This element gives it a realistic feel that is like a work of art. With an all-star cast and this interesting setting, it seems that Anderson will continue to deliver a classic.
The film takes place in 1955, but the techniques employed by Wes Anderson harken back to an earlier era in cinema history. “The shooting process was like shooting a film from the early days of cinema: they built a set in the sunlight and just stretched a canvas to diffuse the light,” says cinematographer Robert Yeoman.
Production designer Adam Stockhausen creates a nostalgic 50s vibe for the famous town
For "Asteroid City," Wes Anderson's dream was to use all natural light. Even in the desert cafeteria scenes (interior daytime scenes), the art design team would make the ceilings out of skylights, then cover them with a super thin layer of diffuser to get a super beautiful light texture.
According to cinematographer Robert Yeoman, Wes’s style is as “minimalistic” and “lofi” as possible. “I’ve worked on sets with hundreds of people standing around, with huge lights and machines. But Wes doesn’t believe in that, and wants to move and work quickly. Apart from the actors, the set will only have Wes the director, me holding the camera, 1 person to focus, 1 second AC holding the slate, 1 person in charge of the dolly, and 1 person holding the boom mic. Wes has a small monitor, but mostly he will sit and observe the actors. In Wes Anderson’s ideal world, a movie only needs 8 people to make it.”
Scarlett Johansson looks moody and forlorn in Asteroid City as a famous actress who thinks the town might be doomed
“Asteroid City” was shot on film—a passion for both the director and the cinematographer. “When you shoot on film, you keep the camera running while you do your hair and makeup, and you feel like everyone’s attention is fading. With film, everyone knows they have a limited amount of film, so everyone is more focused. Somehow, that focused energy comes through on the negatives,” Yeoman said.
"Asteroid City" will have a limited release in select theaters on June 16, 2023, and a wide global release on June 23, 2023.
Director Wes Anderson's 11th film, "Asteroid City," has just been released, featuring a cast of A-list stars.
"Asteroid City" is a work with the same aesthetic composition and color as Wes Anderson's successful films.
