The French Dispatch Trivia | 50 facts about the new Wes Anderson film

“The French Dispatch” is a comedy-drama anthology film and the tenth film by Wes Anderson.

So let’s dive into some trivia and facts about the new film.

1. The films full title is “The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun”
2. It is a 2021 American comedy-drama anthology film
3. It is written, directed, and produced by Wes Anderson
4. From a story he conceived with Roman Coppola, Hugo Guinness, and Jason Schwartzman
5. The film stars an ensemble cast featuring Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, Lyna Khoudri, Jeffrey Wright, Mathieu Amalric, Stephen Park, Bill Murray, and Owen Wilson
6. Its plot follows three different storylines as the French foreign bureau of a fictional Kansas newspaper creates its final issue
7. Additional cast members in The French Dispatch include Liev Schreiber, Edward Norton, Willem Dafoe, Saoirse Ronan, Elisabeth Moss, Jason Schwartzman, and Anjelica Huston
8. The project was first mentioned in August 2018 as an untitled musical set after World War II
9. That December, the film was officially announced, with Anderson calling it a “love letter to journalists”
10. Filming took place between November 2018 and March 2019
11. With cinematographer Robert Yeoman, in the city of Angoulême, France
12. During post-production, editing was completed by Andrew Weisblum
13. The musical score was composed by Alexandre Desplat
14. Following a delay, The French Dispatch had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on July 12, 2021
15. It was theatrically released in the United States by Searchlight Pictures on October 22, 2021
16. The film has been described as “a love letter to journalists set at an outpost of an American newspaper in a fictional 20th-century French city”, centering on four stories
17. It brings to life a collection of tales published in the eponymous The French Dispatch, based in the fictional French city of Ennui-sur-Blasé (literally Boredom-on-Blasé)
18. The film is inspired by Anderson’s love of The New Yorker, and some characters and events in the film are based on real-life equivalents from the magazine
19. One of the three stories centers on the May 68 student occupation protests, inspired by Mavis Gallant’s two-part article “The Events in May: A Paris Notebook”
20. Another story, featuring Adrien Brody’s character of Julien Cadazio, is based on “The Days of Duveen”, a six-part feature in The New Yorker on art dealer Lord Duveen
21. In August 2018, it was reported Wes Anderson would write and direct an untitled musical film set in France, post World War II
22. In November 2018, it was announced Jeremy Dawson would produce the film, with Tilda Swinton and Mathieu Amalric starring in the film
23. Dawson also confirmed the film is not a musical
24. Additionally, Natalie Portman, Brad Pitt, and Léa Seydoux were rumored for roles in the film
25. In December 2018, it was announced Anderson would write and direct the film, with Frances McDormand, Bill Murray, Benicio del Toro, and Jeffrey Wright
26. Seydoux was confirmed to star in the film alongside Swinton and Amalric, with Steven Rales producing under his Indian Paintbrush banner and Fox Searchlight Pictures distributing
27. Timothée Chalamet’s role was written with him in mind
28. Later that month, Lois Smith and Saoirse Ronan joined the cast
29. In January 2019, Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Henry Winkler, Willem Dafoe, Bob Balaban, Steve Park, Denis Ménochet, Lyna Khoudri, Alex Lawther, Vincent Macaigne, Vincent Lacoste, Félix Moati, Benjamin Lavernhe, Guillaume Gallienne, and Cécile de France were cast
30. Robert Yeoman served as the film’s cinematographer
31. In February 2019, it was announced Wally Wolodarsky, Fisher Stevens, Griffin Dunne, and Jason Schwartzman had joined the cast of the film
32. In April 2019, Christoph Waltz, Rupert Friend, and Elisabeth Moss were cast
33. Initially, Kate Winslet was also part of the cast, but had to exit the project to prepare for her next role in Ammonite
34. For the film’s score, Anderson teamed up with long-term collaborators Alexandre Desplat and Randall Poster
35. Desplat enlisted pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet to play accompanied by instruments including the harp, timpani, bassoon, and tuba, drawing inspiration from composers Erik Satie and Thelonious Monk
36. Recording took place remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic
37. The soundtrack was released on CD and digitally on October 22, 2021 via ABKCO Records, with a vinyl released planned for early 2022
38. Its first single, “Obituary”, was released on September 14, 2021
39. The score was given an earlier separate release
40. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 74% rating
41. Based on 152 reviews
42. With an average rating of 7.10/10
43. The website’s critics consensus reads: “A loving ode to the spirit of journalism, The French Dispatch will be most enjoyed by fans of Wes Anderson’s meticulously arranged aesthetic”
44. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 75 out of 100
45. Based on 48 critics
46. Indicating “generally favorable reviews”
47. In the United States and Canada, The French Dispatch was released alongside Dune: Part One and Ron’s Gone Wrong
48. It was released on 52 theaters
49. It was projected to gros 1-3$ million
50. On its first day it made 555,000$