Wes Anderson is dressed like one of his movies. The visionary behind The Royal Tenenbaums and Moonrise Kingdom has arrived for our interview dressed in a Riviera-appropriate pinstripe suit coloured in white and light blue. All he needs is a parasol and he could be ready to stroll down the Croisette. We’re in Cannes, at the film festival, where his 11th feature Asteroid City has just played in competition. Co-written with Roman Coppola, the film feeds directly off Anderson’s love of actors.
“I’ve never been a part of a play,” the fresh-faced 54-year-old explains. “But when I go to the theatre, I wish that I could be a part of a company like that. And when I’m making a movie, it is quite like that. Some of [my] actors who have done plays have told me this… but to me, this movie, the subject matter, is about why people do theatre. Why do I feel this mystifying, mystical attraction to the backstage? What is it about putting on a show and performing?”
