Bill Murray has just officially joined Tilda Swinton as part of the cast of Wes Anderson's new Spain-set film, per a report from Variety. Plot details for the new film are currently unknown, but rumors have been going around that it will be a love story of sorts. Production on the new movie will begin in August of this year, a month before Anderson's The French Dispatch is even released theatrically. Swinton joined the currently untitled film back in June, and it seems likely that more casting updates will be revealed shortly.
Murray and Anderson collaborate frequently, with Murray appearing in a total of eight of Anderson's films, two of which are voice roles only. These films include Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Darjeeling Limited, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Isle of Dogs, and the upcoming The French Dispatch, which also stars Swinton. The French Dispatch had its world premiere at this year's Cannes Film Festival, where it received a 9-minute standing ovation. The film was originally set to premiere at the 2020 Cannes Film Festival before a July 24, 2020 release date, but was pulled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sets have already been built for the newest Wes Anderson film, which have been spotted around Chinchon, Spain. Despite the film reportedly not being a Western, the sets bear a resemblance to desert landscapes. The film was originally going to be shot in Rome, but the decision was made to switch to Spain earlier this year. Only time will tell what the actual plot of the movie will be, but Tilda Swinton was quoted as saying "it’s not about Spain.” On top of starring in The French Dispatch and this new Anderson outing, Murray can also be seen in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which is set to be released theatrically in November of this year. Murray will also appear in The Now, an upcoming series directed by the Farrelly Brothers, which will release on the Roku Channel.
Anderson is having a very busy year, awaiting the release of the already critically lauded The French Dispatch, as well as gearing up to shoot his latest project. One should expect to start hearing a lot more information regarding the beloved auteur's new film after the release of The French Dispatch. The movie is now scheduled to premiere theatrically this year on October 22 by Searchlight Pictures.