Wes Anderson’s latest movieThe Phoenician Schemeis a very familiar outing for the acclaimed director, putting his gorgeous visual style to use in another witty, charming story with a huge ensemble cast. Thankfully,The Phoenician Schemeis now available to watch in theaters, but the director has already begun working on more projects for the near future.
The cast members typically make or break an Anderson movie, andit’s usually made.He’s collaborated with some of comedy’s most recognizable facesthroughout his career, with figures like Bill Murray and Owen Wilson appearing in several of his movies. However in recent years, the director has broadened his choices and invited several new faces to the exclusive club.Anderson’s unique visual styleattracts a very specific kind of comedic actor, and several faces would fit perfectly into this cinematic world.
10Rainn Wilson
Best Known For The Office & Super
Anderson is known for a very specific, quirky brand of comedy throughout his filmography that feels very similar to Rainn Wilson’s work as Dwight Schrute inThe Office.It’s a very dry, awkward sense of humorthat’s reminiscent of actors like Richard Ayoade and Michael Cera, both of whom were praised for their performances inThe Phoenician Scheme.
Wilson has appeared in several moviesand television shows since his time onThe Office, but none of them have quite achieved the same level of success. Working on an Anderson movie comes with a certain expectation of acclaim and popularity, so this could be the perfect combination to bring Wilson back into the public eye while providing the filmmaker with another sharp, reliable cast member.
9Sam Rockwell
Best Known For Jojo Rabbit & Moon
Sam Rockwell has appeared in several dramatic roles throughout his career, but the actor is undeniablyat his best when dabbling in sillier, more comedic roles. This is evident from his work on projects such asJojo RabbitandSeven Psychopaths. In both movies, Rockwell was the standout member of an otherwise very talented ensemble.
There’s something about Rockwell’s specific brand of comedy that feels like a natural fit for Anderson’s cinematic world; he’s dry and sarcastic, but he’s also capable of tuning into a sillier, more slapstick side whenever necessary.
8Aubrey Plaza
Best Known For Parks & Recreation & The White Lotus
Aubrey Plaza is well-known for hersarcastic delivery and deadpan sense of humor, which Anderson has capitalized on in his previous movies. Some ofAnderson’s best moviescombine silly, larger-than-life performances with quieter, understated comedic roles to achieve a very aesthetic balance of tones and atmospheres, which Plaza could definitely contribute to.
With icons like Bill Murray and Tom Hanks appearing in several of Anderson’s movies, it’s clear that the director enjoys working with experienced comedians on his projects. Plaza has been in the comedy business for years, so this feels like an inevitable collaboration.
7Walton Goggins
Best Known For Fallout & The White Lotus
Walton Goggins is another actor who’s brilliant atcarefully walking the line between drama and comedy, as proven by his recent performance inThe White Lotus. The actor has been having somewhat of a career renaissance in recent years, making potential collaborations with acclaimed filmmakers like Anderson even more likely.
Goggins has also proved on several occasions that he thrives in ensemble projects, withThe White Lotusserving as the most recent evidence of this.Anderson’s movies typically have huge casts, so this feels like somewhere the actor would definitely be at home.
6Zooey Deschanel
Best Known For New Girl & 500 Days Of Summer
Thebest episodes ofNew Girlhave already proven that Zooey Deschanel is a comedic force to be reckoned with, but Anderson’s projects require a very different kind of humor that would be fascinating to see the actor take on. Her performances in studio comedies likeYes Manand500 Days of Summerhave touched on this side of her personality before, butthe actor has never fully leaned into the eccentric, awkward comedythat Anderson does so well.
While there are certain actors whom audiences can immediately picture in the world of Anderson (most recently, Michael Cera), there’s something very exciting about watching the filmmaker discover this side of an otherwise established comedic talent. Deschanel feels like a perfect candidate for this treatment.
5Adam Driver
Best Known For Marriage Story & House Of Gucci
Something else that Anderson does brilliantly is employing dramatic actors and giving them a more lighthearted, comedic role that allows them to show an entirely different side of themselves to the audience.
Adam Driver has proven before that he’s got an excellent sense of humor (Inside Llewyn Davisis a prime example), but he’s never had the opportunity to fully lean into this side of acting.
Ralph Fiennes inThe Grand Budapest Hotelis probably the most obvious example, and it’s often lauded as the strongest performance in Anderson’s filmography.Adam Driver has proven before that he’s got an excellent sense of humor(Inside Llewyn Davisis a prime example), but he’s never had the opportunity to fully lean into this side of acting. Anderson could finally give him that chance.
4Nicolas Cage
Best Known For Raising Arizona & Face/Off
When it comes to actors who’ve got a very specific “style”of acting, Nicolas Cage has to be near the top of the list. Ever since his breakout performance inFast Times at Ridgemont High,the actor has been known for his unique brand of comedyand complete versatility when it comes to the projects he stars in.
The only problem is that Cage is typically the star of the show in every movie he stars in, so it would be fascinating to see how he fits into a more general ensemble.
Cage’s best moviesare those where he’s fully let loose and allowed to lean into the silliness of his comedy, and that’s something that Anderson clearly encourages within his actors. The only problem is that Cage is typically the star of the show in every movie he stars in, so it would be fascinating to see how he fits into a more general ensemble.
3Robert De Niro
Best Known For Taxi Driver & Goodfellas
Robert De Niro isn’t typically known for his comedic works, but the actor has certainly displayed his sense of humor on several occasions. Films such asDirty GrandpaandMeet The Parentshave brought out a more lighthearted side of the actor, but these projects have always been met with polarizing reviews.
Anderson feels like the perfect catalyst tofinally give De Niro a comedic performance in a critically acclaimed movie. The actor has clearly found success in his dramatic roles, fromTaxi DrivertoThe Irishman, but he’s had much less success in the realm of comedy.
2Christopher Walken
Best Known For Pulp Fiction & Severance
Of all the actors that Anderson hasn’t worked with over the years, Christopher Walken feels like perhaps the most surprising.He’s got such a dry, sarcastic tone of comedythat perfectly mirrors the eccentric tone of the director’s movies; he could easily have pulled off a role similar to Murray or Hanks in the director’s latest outings.
Walken is perhaps best known for hisiconic monologue inPulp Fiction,which is slightly more indecent than the typical humor in Anderson’s movies, but it displays the exact kind of deadpan monotony that the director writes so effectively. This scene alone should be evidence enough that a collaboration between these two talents would be a huge success.
1Robert Pattinson
Best Known For Twilight & The Batman
In recent years, Robert Pattinson has cemented himself as one of the most versatile actors of his generation. From dark thrillers likeThe Batmanto slapstick comedies likeMickey 17, the actor has an immense range that he could effectively put to use in an Anderson ensemble.
Whether he’s playing somebody outwardly silly and eccentric as inMickey 17orThe Boy and the Heron, or somebody a little more straight-faced and monotonous like inThe Lighthouse, there should definitely be room for Pattinson in the filmmaker’s next movie afterThe Phoenician Scheme.
