Overview

• The Phoenician Scheme, Anderson’s 13th feature, premiered at Cannes before its limited theatrical bow on May 31 and wide release on June 6.
• Benicio del Toro leads as arms dealer Zsa-Zsa Korda trying to reconnect with his nun daughter, Sister Liesl (Mia Threapleton), supported by an ensemble including Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Bryan Cranston, and Michael Cera.
• Set in the 1950s, the film weaves morality, family dynamics, and redemption into a globe-trotting espionage caper rendered in Bruno Delbonnel’s sumptuous 35mm cinematography.
• Reviewers uniformly laud the production design, visual symmetry and performances while some critique its narrative complexity and feel that emotional stakes come across as secondary to style.
• Analysts expect Focus Features’ typical release pattern to bring premium VOD availability around July 6 and a Peacock streaming debut roughly between August 1 and August 8.