Fox Searchlight has acquired the worldwide rights to the next film from director Wes Anderson, “The French Dispatch,” the company announced Thursday.
The film is Anderson’s 10th feature, and it will be released in 2020. Searchlight has also revealed the plot details for the movie. “The French Dispatch” is described as a love letter to journalists set in an outpost of an American newspaper in a fictional 20th-century French city that brings to life a collection of stories published in “The French Dispatch” magazine.
As per usual, Anderson has assembled an impressive and sprawling ensemble cast for “The French Dispatch” that includes Benicio del Toro, Frances McDormand, Jeffrey Wright, Adrien Brody, Timothée Chalamet, Léa Seydoux, Tilda Swinton, Mathieu Amalric, Lyna Khoudri, Stephen Park, Owen Wilson and Bill Murray.
Anderson, Steven Rales and Jeremy Dawson are serving as producers while Fox Searchlight will distribute the film produced and co-financed by Indian Paintbrush.
Fox Searchlight has a long history of distributing Anderson’s films, including his most recent film “Isle of Dogs,” as well as “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and “The Darjeeling Limited.”
“We are excited to dive back into the unmistakable and entirely original world of Wes Anderson,” Steve Gilula and Nancy Utley, chairmen of Fox Searchlight Pictures, said in a statement. “Our collaborations with Wes in the past have been exceptional, and we’re thrilled to be back working with him and the Indian Paintbrush team on ‘The French Dispatch.’”
“Wes and our entire filmmaking team are delighted to again collaborate with our partners at Fox Searchlight, and excited to introduce audiences to ‘The French Dispatch,’” producer Steven Rales said in a statement.
The deal was negotiated by Megan O’Brien, EVP of business affairs for Fox Searchlight, and Gene Kang, EVP of business and legal affairs, and Deborah Wettstein, chief financial officer, on behalf of Indian Paintbrush.
This is Anderson’s sixth collaboration with the distributor Indian Paintbrush. He’s represented by UTA.
Fox Searchlight’s upcoming slate includes “Lucy in the Sky,” “Jojo Rabbit,” “A Hidden Life,” “Wendy,” “Antlers” and “Downhill.” The company also recently bought “The Personal History of David Copperfield,” the latest film from director Armando Iannucci, out of Toronto.