As did a number of his films in the past, Wes Anderson’s most recent undertaking, The Grand Budapest Hotel, will have its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival, which begins February 6th. The BIFF, in its 64th year, has designated the lavish Berlinale Palast as the venue for the high-profile film, which many critics are claiming is yet another successful and entertaining demonstration of Andersonian originality.
According to BIFF’s official website, Budapest “recounts the adventures of Gustave H, a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars, and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend. The story involves the theft and recovery of a priceless Renaissance painting and the battle for an enormous family fortune – all against the back-drop of a suddenly and dramatically changing continent.”
As expected, Anderson has augmented his seemingly charming script with a host of top notch talent, including Ralph Fiennes (as Gustave H), Tony Revolori (Zero Moustafa), Mathieu Amalric, Adrien Brody, F. Murray Abraham, Jeff Goldblum, Willem Dafoe, Bill Murray, Jude Law, Harvey Keitel, Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson, Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson, Lea Seydoux, and Saorise Ronan.
In a BIFF press release (also on the official site), the festival’s director, Dieter Kosslick, expresses his excitement at the opportunity to once again host the premiere of what is anticipated to be another one of Anderson’s attendance-boosting showcases (The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Acquatic with Steve Zissou premiered at the BIFF in 2002 and 2005, respectively). “With its elaborate production design and fantastic cast line-up, The Grand Budapest Hotel bears the inimitable mark of American director Wes Anderson… this comedy promises to kick things off in a big way.”
Produced as a British-German co-production by Anderson himself, along with Scott Rudin, Steven M. Rales, and Jeremy Dawson, the film was shot primarily on-location in Germany, in the surrounding areas of Gorlitz and Saxony.
The film will release in European theaters in February, with Fox Searchlight handling U.S. distribution in early March.
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