ASTEROID CITY - The Popcorn Junkies Movie Review (Spoilers)

Asteroid City is a 2023 American science fiction comedy-drama film directed and co-produced by Wes Anderson from a screenplay by Anderson and a story by Anderson and Roman Coppola. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Liev Schreiber, Hope Davis, Steve Park, Rupert Friend, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon, Hong Chau, Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie, Tony Revolori, Jake Ryan, and Jeff Goldblum. Its metatextual plot simultaneously depicts the events of a Junior Stargazer convention in a retrofuturistic version of 1955, staged as a play, and the creation of the play. The project was first announced in September 2020 as an untitled romance film, with Anderson writing and directing. Originally set for Rome, filming took place in Spain between August and October 2021, with cinematographer Robert D. Yeoman and COVID-19 safety precautions in place. Several sets in Chinchón, resembling a desert landscape and a mock train station, were used for the shoot. The post-production process included editor Barney Pilling and composer Alexandre Desplat in his sixth collaboration with Anderson. The official title was revealed in October 2021. Asteroid City had its world premiere at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 23, 2023, where it competed for the Palme d'Or. It was released in the United States via a limited theatrical release on June 16, 2023, before expanding to a wide release on June 23, 2023, by Focus Features. The film received positive reviews from critics.