Wes Anderson's first live-action feature not photographed by Robert D. Yeoman. Yeoman opted instead to shoot The Collaboration with director Kwame Kwei-Armah.
The cast comprises four Oscar winners — Riz Ahmed, Benicio Del Toro, Tom Hanks and F. Murray Abraham — and five Oscar nominees — Bryan Cranston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Willem Dafoe, Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray.
Zsa-zsa Korda (Benicio Del Toro) suffers a gunshot to the abdomen and a wound to the head. The puncture in his abdomen and the blood on his brow recall Christian iconography of Jesus Christ — at one point he even lies supine with his arms outstretched as if on a crucifix. This implies that Korda is on a spiritual journey across the film: beginning as a man regarded as a bad influence who is pursued by the authorities, he passes through a series of journeys, trials, adventures and encounters that prompt a change in him. Whether intentionally or not, he seeks redemption, culminating in a metaphorical resurrection when he relinquishes his former existence and arrives at a simpler, more fulfilling life by the film’s end. This reading is broadly consistent with the recurring religious figures and imagery that appear throughout the film.
The story centres on a father–daughter relationship; Anderson was inspired to tell it, and his wife had predicted it following the birth of their daughter.
The name Zsa-zsa Korda is likely inspired by two of Hungary's best-known figures in cinema: the actress Zsa Zsa Gabor and the filmmaking brothers Alexander Korda, Vincent Korda and Zoltan Korda.
This is the sixth feature-length film co-written by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola.
Mia Threapleton, who portrays Liesl, is Kate Winslet's daughter. While Winslet has not yet appeared in an Anderson film, her name inspired the character played by Cate Blanchett in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou: Jane Winslett-Richardson.
Benicio del Toro said he agreed to take the role after reading twenty pages of the script Wes Anderson had sent him — the opening sequence between his character and his daughter. "It was so rich and detailed, original, funny and poignant. It was simply so layered. As an actor, you're looking for parts like this. When they come, you just bite and don't let go."
