Wes Anderson is being feted by the Criterion Collection ahead of the release of his latest film, “The Phoenician Scheme.” Known as an auteur whose name has become synonymous with a distinct aesthetic, Anderson has directed 12 films, plus the series of shorts “The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar and Three More,” across his career. Now, his first 10 features (which encompass 25 years of cinematic history) are being released in 4K UHD and Blu-ray by the Criterion Collection.
Anderson himself approved the 20-disc collection which also has special edition features ranging from essays by Martin Scorsese, Richard Brody, James L. Brooks, Bilge Ebiri, Moeko Fujii, Kent Jones, Dave Kehr, Geoffrey O’Brien, and Erica Wagner, as well as more than 25 hours of bonus content including audio commentaries, interviews, documentaries, deleted scenes, auditions, short films, home movies, commercials, storyboards, animation tests, archival recordings, still photography, discussions, analysis, and visual essays.
The collection will have new 4K digital masters of “Bottle Rocket,” “Rushmore,” “The Royal Tenenbaums,” “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,” “The Darjeeling Limited,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” “Moonrise Kingdom,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Isle of Dogs,” and “The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun.” The 4K transfer was supervised by Anderson, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks. The 4K UHD discs of the films are presented in Dolby Vision HDR. The collection will be released September 30.
“Wes Anderson’s first 10 films represent 25 years of irrepressible creativity, an ongoing ode to outsiders and quixotic dreamers, and a world unto themselves, graced with a mischievous wit and a current of existential melancholy that flows through every captivating frame,” a statement from Criterion reads.
Anderson’s “The Phoenician Scheme” opens in theaters on Friday, May 30.
