Overview

• The Phoenician Scheme premiered at Cannes on May 18, receiving a six-minute ovation but eliciting mixed critical reviews over its balance of style and substance.
• The film, now playing in UK theaters, follows Zsa-zsa Korda, a tycoon played by Benicio del Toro, who survives an assassination attempt and appoints his estranged nun daughter, Liesl, as his sole heir.
• Mia Threapleton, in a breakout role as Liesl, praised Anderson’s collaborative and non-hierarchical production environment, likening it to a summer camp experience.
• Michael Cera joins the ensemble as Bjorn, a Norwegian tutor specializing in insects, adding humor to the father-daughter espionage plot.
• The film features cameos from Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray, and others, continuing Anderson’s tradition of star-studded casts while showcasing his evolving cinematic vision.