The Phoenician Scheme

The Phoenician Scheme is an upcoming espionage thriller film directed by Wes Anderson from a script he wrote with Roman Coppola. The film will feature an ensemble cast including Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Riz Ahmed, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, Rupert Friend, Hope Davis, Imad Mardnli and Benedict Cumberbatch. An international co-production between United States and Germany, it will be produced under Studio Babelsberg as well as Anderson through his company American Empirical Pictures and Steven Rales through his company Indian Paintbrush.
Anderson talked about the film in June 2023 while promoting Asteroid City (2023), and saying that it had already been written before the 2023 WGA strike began. Later, in September 2023, he revealed that del Toro and Cera were planned to join the cast, and he hoped to begin filming soon after the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike was over. The rest of the cast members signed on between January and June 2024. Filming took place at Babelsberg Studio in Germany, between March and June 2024, with cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel. Frequent Anderson composer Alexandre Desplat returns to compose the score.
The Phoenician Scheme is scheduled to be given a limited theatrical release in the United States on May 30, 2025, by Focus Features, before expanding nationwide a week later on June 6.
Michael Cera and Benicio del Toro were the first cast members rumored to be part of Wes Anderson's next film in May 2023. Anderson first talked about the film in June 2023 while promoting Asteroid City, calling it a "three-hander" adventure and saying that it had already been written before the 2023 WGA strike began, working with Roman Coppola. He confirmed del Toro's involvement saying that the film would feature him in every shot, and that the film involved a father-daughter relationship in a dark espionage tale. In September, Anderson confirmed that Cera was planned to feature alongside del Toro in the film, and he hoped to begin filming soon after the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike was over. Bill Murray, Mia Threapleton, and Riz Ahmed were announced as part of the cast in 2024. Longtime collaborating producer Steven Rales and his company Indian Paintbrush are also working on the film.
Principal photography began on March 12, 2024, at Babelsberg Studio in Germany, and wrapped on June 3 of the same year. French cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel shot on 35mm film, marking his first feature-length collaboration with Anderson. Alexandre Desplat returns to compose the score, his seventh collaboration with Anderson.
The rest of the cast was announced on June 6, 2024, including Tom Hanks, Benedict Cumberbatch, Scarlett Johansson, Willem Dafoe, Bryan Cranston, Mia Threapleton, Tonio Arango, Imke Büchel, Imad Mardnli, Jaime Ferkic, Antonia Desplat, Aysha Samuel, and Sabine Hollweck. With the announcement of the release date, it was revealed that Mathieu Amalric and Jeffrey Wright joined the cast.
In February 2025, Focus Features acquired worldwide rights to the film, with its parent Universal Pictures handling international distribution. The Phoenician Scheme is scheduled for a limited theatrical release in the United States on May 30, 2025, expanding wide a week later on June 6. It is Anderson's third collaboration with Focus Features after Moonrise Kingdom (2012) and Asteroid City (2023).