Wes Anderson directs Benicio del Toro in The Phoenician Scheme, marking a memorable collaboration that started with a straightforward invitation rather than a script written exclusively for the actor. Their work on the new film, which premiered on May 30 in theaters and features an ensemble cast, highlights the dynamic process that unfolded between Anderson and del Toro during production.
Wes Anderson’s Invitation Sparks Benicio Del Toro’s Motivation
Benicio del Toro recounted the beginning of their collaboration on a recent episode of Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist. Del Toro recalled his initial conversation with Anderson, sharing the words the director used to pull him into the project.
“He said, ‘I want you to be part of my next film.’”
—Wes Anderson, Director. Del Toro explained that Anderson never mentioned writing the role specifically for him, which he admitted was actually a relief.
“That would have scared the hell out of me,”
Del Toro confessed with honesty and humor.
Reading through the script, del Toro found the experience thrilling and intimidating in equal measure.
“It still scared the hell out of me when I read the script, because I thought it was fantastic and it was a lot of heavy lifting,”
he continued.
“Because f—, I’m in it quite a bit. But when you get Wes Anderson calling you and offering you any part — but in this case, a hell of a part, it’s like getting a motivational pill. You’re just motivated.”
—Benicio del Toro, Actor.
Starring as Zsa-zsa Korda: A Complex Role in a Star-Studded Film
In The Phoenician Scheme, Benicio del Toro portrays Zsa-zsa Korda, an affluent businessman known for escaping danger one too many times. Facing the reality that his luck may soon run out, Korda is determined to make his daughter Liesel, played by Mia Threapleton, the successor to lead the ambitious Korda Land and Sea Phoenician Infrastructure Scheme.
The film’s cast also features Michael Cera, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, and Mia Threapleton, daughter of Academy Award winner Kate Winslet. Threapleton’s casting came after a notable audition with del Toro, who shared insight into their screen test.
“She was the top contender. We were doin’ the scene, and then we finished, and I locked eyes with her, and she locked eyes with me, and she didn’t blink,”
he recalled.
“And then we went on. And then I remember telling Wes, you know, ‘I think that’s exactly what Zsa-zsa needs.’”
—Benicio del Toro, Actor.
Inside Wes Anderson’s Directorial Approach
When reflecting on the creative freedom allowed on Anderson’s set, del Toro emphasized the space provided for actors to leave their mark on a role. There is, he described,
“room for doin’ your thing within his.”
—Benicio del Toro, Actor. This trust is a key part of Anderson’s directing style.
“When you work with Wes, you trust him,”
del Toro added.
The relationship between Anderson and del Toro stands on previous collaboration as well. In 2021, the two worked together on The French Dispatch, where del Toro played the artist Moses Rosenthaler, a prisoner whose talent grabs attention beyond the confines of incarceration.
The World According to Wes Anderson
During the interview, Willie Geist asked about del Toro’s perspective on being immersed in Anderson’s distinct cinematic world.
“How do you describe being inside the world of Wes Anderson?”
—Willie Geist, Interviewer. Del Toro responded with a reflection on Anderson’s signature film style:
“I got to be in the moment. Wes wants you to be as honest as you can be, like any other director,”
he said.
“I think Wes Anderson movies, when I see them — and I’ve been in two — they feel like they’re 3D, like they’re almost tactile media. You almost can touch it, like a pop-up book in some ways. And also the humor and the heart.”
—Benicio del Toro, Actor.
With its ensemble cast, inventive storyline, and the textured vision of Anderson behind the camera, The Phoenician Scheme stands as another example of the director’s world-building. The process was shaped not just by the actors, but by Anderson’s approach, fostering an environment where performers could contribute creatively while serving the film’s intense narrative.
As audiences continue to engage with the film and its characters, the collaboration between Wes Anderson and Benicio del Toro, especially through their candid behind-the-scenes insights, deepens appreciation for how talent, direction, and bold storytelling can come together on the big screen.
