Wes Anderson’s surprising latest endeavor, the stop-motion Roald Dahl adaptation Fantastic Mr. Fox, is out in theaters now and garnering terrific reviews. We thought we’d catch up with our friend and ask him some questions about this charming labor of love, which he answered while shuttling by train between New York and Boston to promote the film.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou incorporates animation, and others of your films (Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums) have the texture and framing of comic strips come to life. What made you turn to all-animation now?
Well, I’ve been thinking about doing an animated movie for about ten years—since before we made The Life Aquatic or The Royal Tenenbaums, in fact. Henry Selick was the animator of the stop-motion sequences in Life Aquatic because he and I were already working on putting together Fantastic Mr. Fox. We met when I approached him about that film. Stop-motion has always had a special, sort of magical appeal for me. There is nothing else quite like it. The form itself has enormous charm. I was looking for material to do in stop-motion, sort of like the way you might want to find certain material that would allow you to work with a certain actor.
How did you find your way to the Dahl story?
This one found its way to me! My mother bought me the book at the St. Francis book fair [in Austin] when I was maybe seven. And I have kept this same copy on my shelves wherever I’ve lived ever since. It made a great impression on me and introduced me to the work of one of my favorite writers during my childhood—and still a favorite of mine today.
You recruited quite a cast—George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Michael Gambon, Willem Dafoe, and old favorites Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, and Owen Wilson. How did you find directing actors in performances that are strictly voice work, especially since you often use actors so visually?
One thing I enjoyed was recording the cast together on a friend’s farm in Connecticut. It was kind of like being at summer camp. We made sort of documentary recordings of the voices on location. With an animated movie, the voices come first, and the animators bring in part two of the performances. It’s sort of a collaboration between the actors and the animators.
We know you’re always watching movies when preparing new films. What were you watching for Fox?
We looked at Le roman de Renard by Wladyslaw Starewicz in particular—but also Harryhausen films and the Rankin/Bass TV specials and Watership Down and The Plague Dogs. But more than anything with this movie, I’ve been inspired by Miyazaki’s films and others from Studio Ghibli.
It’s interesting that all those animated films are analog. Do you feel there’s something missing, emotionally or visually, in the all-CGI animated films that are so popular today?
I don’t know if there’s anything missing! I love the Pixar movies, for instance. But I do find myself more drawn to the analog ones. Stop-motion is about as old-fashioned as you can get. I think it probably boils down to: I like old things.
Now that you’ve made, among other things, an animated film, a Jacques Cousteau–inflected adventure, and a coming-of-age tale, what new formats or genres are you going to try next?
That’s a good question, but I don’t think I have the answer yet. Oddly, I think the next one might combine everything you have listed.
1996
91 min
Color
1.85:1
Categories: Interviews
14 Comments
Wed 18 Nov at 04:21 PM
frank
never could relate to the rich east coast preppy rich people and their problems in rushmore or tenenbaums, but his other films are starting to grow on me.
Wed 18 Nov at 04:46 PM
Kevin
Frank,
Rushmore took place in Texas. Just so you know.
Wed 18 Nov at 08:12 PM
robb
i cannot wait for this film. . . plus Jarvis Cocker!!! sounds sweet!
also patiently awaiting the Criterion release of Darjeeling Limited!!
Thu 19 Nov at 12:17 AM
Shaun
Frank, his characters are often wealthy, but they never behave with a sense of entitlement. It’s an interesting twist on humanism. Also, the money allows the characters to do many things that give the films energy and interest. I mean, Rushmore would have been a tad boring if it took place at a inner city school with no budget for Max’s many clubs. : )
Thu 19 Nov at 12:46 AM
Shaun
One more thing: issues of growing up, unrequited love, familial relations, squandered promise, depression, suicide, death, fathers and sons, etc. – these are not the problems of rich people, they are universal. Have you actually watched those two films? I mean really watched them.
Thu 19 Nov at 04:52 PM
Oliver
The titular character of Rushmore wasn’t even wealthy. He was a barber’s son.
Thu 19 Nov at 04:59 PM
james
So is Fox going to let this film get the “Criterion treatment”?
If they do, I’ll be waiting on Darjeeling as well!!
Fri 20 Nov at 04:24 PM
drbenway
Geez, Frank sure was wrong about everything…
Sat 21 Nov at 12:10 PM
Dylan P.
If any post-“Rushmore” Anderson film deserves the Criterion upgrade, it is “Mr. Fox”. Saw it last night, and I think that in many ways it is probably his best movie.
Sun 22 Nov at 06:37 AM
Bru Muller
Just saw Fantastic Mr. Fox at the ArcLight tonight (Sat night), what an amazing film.
I really hope Criterion does the Blu-ray.
Sun 22 Nov at 10:39 AM
Blaise
Titular character of Rushmore? The high school was a barber’s son?
Anyway, I’m pretty excited for this. Anderson has always struck me as one of the few live-action directors who could probably make an easy transition into animation.
Sun 29 Nov at 08:56 AM
Pierre B.
Reading there’s a new Wes Anderson movie already got me excited
but reading the interview (and especially “I’ve been inspired by Miyazaki’s films and others from Studio Ghibli.”) I can hardly wait!
PS: I’ll have to wait till February 2010 though as this seems to be the release date in France…
PPS: Thanks Criterion for the news and interview and bring us the Blurays ;)
Sun 29 Nov at 10:39 AM
robb
just saw Mr. Fox.. . .it was FANTASTIC!!
distributred by Fox News Corp.. . .so was Darjeeling!! does that mean another loooong wait for Criterion???
NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!
Sat 05 Dec at 12:16 AM
Brian
I hope Fox let’s Fox get a Criterion treatment. But while Criterion is at it, I hope they get Lotte Reiniger, Wladyslaw Starewicz, Aleksandr Ptushko, Karel Zeman, Yuri Norstein, Aleksandr Petrov to the Criterion.
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