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Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme, fronted by Benicio del Toro as the ruthless European business tycoon Zsa-Zsa Korda, cements the director’s status as a Hollywood magnet, drawing A-listers like Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, and newcomer Mia Threapleton to his meticulously crafted 1950s universe.
Anderson’s distinct aesthetic, unswayed by Hollywood norms, makes his projects a bucket-list dream for actors, with every big name pleading to join his vision.
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The film, set in the 1950s, follows Zsa-Zsa Korda, a charismatic yet truth-averse tycoon chasing his career-defining Korda Land and Sea Phoenician Infrastructure Scheme, disregarding his 10 children, the slaves he exploits, and the land he plunders.
Inspired partly by Anderson’s father-in-law, Lebanese businessman Fouad Malouf, to whom the film is dedicated, The Phoenician Scheme blends personal homage with Anderson’s signature storytelling.
Benicio del Toro describes playing Zsa-Zsa Korda as “like taking a motivation pill,” praising the unpredictable, original script and the character’s contradictory arc.
Michael Cera, cast as Bjorn, reveals Anderson wrote the role specifically for him, a fact that filled him with both awe and dread, given Anderson’s access to any actor in Hollywood.
Cera’s anxiety peaked when an actors’ strike delayed production, leaving him uneasy until filming began.
Every detail in Anderson’s universe is meticulously planned, from original Renoir and Magritte artworks adorning the sets to a character’s quirky backstory of collecting fleas in a plastic bag as a child.
Most roles in The Phoenician Scheme were crafted with specific actors in mind, except for Liesl, Zsa-Zsa’s daughter, a role that sparked a competitive audition process.
Mia Threapleton, the 24-year-old daughter of Kate Winslet, landed the part of the straight-talking nun summoned to inherit her father’s business after his sixth near-death experience.
Threapleton recalls her disbelief upon receiving the casting call from her agent while on a train, saying, “I didn’t believe them – and she laughed at me [and said] ‘of course I’m not lying to you, this is true’. And then I sat on the floor and I cried.”
The film marks a reunion for Anderson’s frequent collaborators like Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, and Scarlett Johansson, while introducing fresh faces to his whimsical yet calculated world.
Directed by the Fantastic Mr. Fox filmmaker, The Phoenician Scheme is a Focus Features release, with on-set images credited to Roger Do Minh/TPS Productions/Focus Features.
Anderson’s ability to attract Hollywood’s elite while crafting intricate narratives ensures The Phoenician Scheme stands as a testament to his enduring allure in the industry.
