So, here we are. It’s 2026. Wes Anderson finally gave us a movie about a billionaire who has survived six separate plane crashes, and somehow, we’re all still talking about the font choices.
Honestly, the buzz around The Phoenician Scheme has been weird. Ever since it hit theaters in May 2025—and then landed on digital platforms shortly after—people have been trying to figure out if this is just "Classic Wes" or if he’s actually trying to tell us something deeper about the world. You’ve probably seen the screenshots of Benicio del Toro looking grizzled in a double-breasted suit or Mia Threapleton as a nun. It looks like a diorama of the Cold War era.
But it isn't just about the aesthetics.
The movie is basically a globe-trotting espionage thriller, but one where the main character, Anatole "Zsa-zsa" Korda, spends more time worrying about his spiritual worthiness in the afterlife than the assassins trying to blow up his next flight. It’s a bit of a shift. It’s darker. It’s a little more cynical about power.
What Really Happened with The Phoenician Scheme
A lot of people think Wes just woke up and decided to make a movie about "The Phoenician." That's not really how it went.
Actually, the whole thing started with a personal tragedy. Anderson dedicated the film to his late father-in-law, Fouad Malouf. Malouf was a Lebanese engineer, a man who lived a life of massive infrastructure projects and complex filing systems kept in shoeboxes. When you watch the film and see Zsa-zsa Korda obsessing over his "Modern Greater Independent Phoenicia" project, you’re seeing a hyper-stylized version of that real-life drive.
The story follows Korda (del Toro), an amoral arms dealer and industrialist. After surviving yet another assassination attempt—this one involves a bomb on a private plane—he decides he needs an heir. Not just any heir. He wants his estranged daughter, Liesl (Mia Threapleton), to leave her convent and run his empire.
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It’s an odd premise. A nun and a war profiteer traveling across a fictional Middle Eastern landscape bordering "The Valley of Nebuchadnezzar." Along for the ride is Bjørn, played by Michael Cera, a socially awkward entomologist who somehow becomes Korda's right-hand man.
The Studio Babelsberg Factor
One thing critics often get wrong is where this was actually made. Looking at the screen, you’d swear they were on location in some vintage Mediterranean port.
Nope.
Almost the entire movie was shot at Studio Babelsberg in Potsdam, Germany. That’s the same legendary stage where Fritz Lang filmed Metropolis back in 1927. Anderson and his production designer, Adam Stockhausen, built a literal world there. They even renamed one of the buildings at the studio "The Wes Anderson Building" after production wrapped.
- The set used "trompe l'oeil" painting techniques to fake marble walls.
- Custom props were designed by luxury brands like Prada and Cartier.
- A mechanical diorama at the climax of the film took months to build.
Why The Phoenician Scheme Still Matters Today
It’s easy to dismiss this as another "dollhouse" movie. Some people do. In fact, a few critics at Cannes last year felt the tone was too "arch" or distant. But if you look at the structure, it’s actually one of his most tightly plotted films in years.
There’s a real stakes-driven narrative here. Korda isn't just wandering; he’s trying to stay alive while reconciling with a daughter who essentially hates everything he stands for. The interplay between Threapleton’s "Sister Liesl" and del Toro’s "Zsa-zsa" is where the movie finds its heart. Threapleton—who, fun fact, is Kate Winslet’s daughter—is the breakout here. She manages to be "Wes Anderson-flat" while still showing a ton of internal conflict.
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Then there’s the afterlife.
Yes, the movie actually goes to Heaven. Or at least, a black-and-white version of it inspired by the 1946 film A Matter of Life and Death. We see Bill Murray as a bearded, robe-clad God. It’s funny, sure, but it also forces the character of Zsa-zsa to confront the fact that his "scheme" was never about infrastructure. It was a ritual to win back his child.
A Cast That’s Almost Too Big
You’ve got the usual suspects, of course.
Willem Dafoe shows up. Scarlett Johansson plays a wealthy cousin. Benedict Cumberbatch is the "villainous" half-brother, Nubar. But the real surprises are the new faces. Riz Ahmed as a disillusioned prince is a highlight, especially during a high-stakes basketball game that determines the fate of a multi-million dollar venture.
It’s also Michael Cera’s first time in an Anderson film. He was supposed to be in Asteroid City, but he had a kid and had to back out. Seeing him here, playing an insect specialist who is clearly out of his depth, feels like a match made in cinematic heaven.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Rewatch
If you’re planning to dive back into The Phoenician Scheme on Blu-ray or streaming, keep an eye on these specific details. They change how you view the "scheme" itself.
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Look at the maps. The fictional nation of Phoenicia isn't just a random Middle Eastern stand-in. It’s a "Middle East that never was," full of Cold War spy thriller tropes and references to Tintin’s Kingdom of Khemed.
Follow the art. During the end credits, Anderson displays all the paintings used in the film, including works by Magritte and Renoir. They aren't just background dressing; they represent the collision of high art and dirty money that Korda inhabits.
Listen to the score. Alexandre Desplat is back, but the music this time has a darker, more espionage-heavy tint than the whimsical tunes of The Grand Budapest Hotel.
The afterlife sequences. Notice how the "Heaven" scenes are the only ones not obsessed with symmetry. It’s a subtle hint that the rigid control Korda exerts over his life doesn't follow him after death.
Ultimately, this movie isn't just about a "Phoenician" plot. It's a meditation on what we leave behind. Korda starts as a man who thinks his legacy is built in steel and dams. He ends as a man who realizes his only real project was a daughter he barely knew. It’s a shift from the "intellectual exercises" of his recent work back toward the emotional resonance of The Royal Tenenbaums.
If you want to understand the modern Wes Anderson, you have to look past the centering and the pastel colors. You have to look at the shoeboxes.