Wes Anderson fans rejoice, the first Asteroid City trailer is here. The eleventh movie from the distinctive director is set to be one of the more anticipated 2023 new movies among cinephiles, thanks in large part to its massive cast of big-name actors and actresses.
Among the Asteroid City cast that we see in the trailer are Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Liev Schreiber, Hope Davis, Stephen Park, Maya Hawke, Steve Carrell, Matt Dillon, Tony Revolori and Jake Ryan. However, there are also a number of confirmed cast members that are not seen in the trailer, such as Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Rupert Friend, Hong Chau, Jeff Goldblum and, most noticeably for many fans, Margot Robbie.
Robbie's absence from the Asteroid City trailer was definitely noted by many on social media:
First look at Margot Robbie in Wes Anderson's 'ASTEROID CITY'. https://t.co/QkQQPMJztS pic.twitter.com/oYhHYS1xfEMarch 29, 2023
If I don’t see Margot Robbie on Asteroid City trailer 🥲pic.twitter.com/Y0HRPUdnmsMarch 29, 2023
2 quick thoughts on the ASTEROID CITY trailer:1) Looks hilarious and fantastic and delightful. Classic Wes Anderson. Can’t wait.2) There were a handful of people not in the trailer (namely Margot Robbie!) that I am curious about. Hmm. pic.twitter.com/CQIj3yTlVeMarch 29, 2023
probably margot robbie screentime in asteroid city pic.twitter.com/mPejMb7hNIMarch 29, 2023
But, it also has led to a theory about just who Robbie may be playing in the movie.
For some background, Asteroid City takes place in a fictional American desert town in 1955. As the town hosts a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention, it is disrupted by world-changing events. As we see in the trailer, that event looks to be the arrival of extraterrestrials, aka aliens.
It's this component that has some on the internet theorizing that Robbie could be playing one of these aliens.
margot robbie is not in the asteroid city trailer as far as I can tell so I’m deciding she plays an alien (which seems to be like a real thing they’re dealing with in this movie 😭)March 29, 2023
It seems like a reasonable bet, as you would think they would avoid showing what the aliens look like in the trailer (goodness, imagine what Wes Anderson-created aliens may look like). That could be the case for all of the actors not included in this first trailer.
We do have to say though, even without getting to see all of the big names that make up the ensemble of the movie. We’re personally excited to see Tom Hanks make his first appearance in a Wes Anderson movie, and can't help but be wowed by the color and setting of the movie. It looks like another gem from the director of The Royal Tenenbaums and The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Check out the Asteroid City trailer for yourself right here:
To find out if Robbie is an alien or not, you'll have to go see Asteroid City when it releases exclusively in movie theaters on June 16 in the US in limited theaters, then expanding to more US cities and the UK on June 23.