Wes Anderson’s ‘The Phoenician Scheme’ earns six-minute ovation at Cannes

Wes Anderson's latest feature, "The Phoenician Scheme", premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday night, drawing a six-minute standing ovation at the Lumière Theatre. Starring Benicio del Toro as a shady European tycoon and Mia Threapleton as his estranged daughter, the film marks Anderson's fourth Cannes debut and is set for release on May 30 via Focus Features.

Anderson arrived at the screening by bus, accompanied by cast members including Michael Cera and Riz Ahmed. Also present were Jeffrey Wright, Benedict Cumberbatch, Bill Murray, Rupert Friend, co-writer Roman Coppola, and composer Alexandre Desplat.

An emotional Threapleton, who plays a nun on the verge of taking her vows, was seen hugging co-star Cera during the ovation. After the applause subsided, Anderson briefly thanked the cast before the screening.

"The Phoenician Scheme" follows "Moonrise Kingdom" (2012), "The French Dispatch" (2021), and "Asteroid City" (2023) as Anderson's previous Cannes entries. The story centres on Zsa-Zsa Korda, a globe-spanning business magnate who appoints his daughter as heir following a failed assassination attempt.

Anderson has cited his late father-in-law, Fouad Malouf, as one of the key inspirations behind del Toro's character. The film also features returning Anderson collaborators including Scarlett Johansson, Bryan Cranston, and Tom Hanks.

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"The Phoenician Scheme" joins this year's lineup of high-profile Cannes premieres, alongside "Die, My Love", "Eddington", "The Chronology of Water", "Nouvelle Vague", and "Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning". The festival runs from May 13 to 24.