Wes Anderson - Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom To Open Cannes 2012

Wes Anderson's latest movie, Moonrise Kingdom has been announced as this year's Cannes opener, Empire reports today (March 9, 2012). Anderson had taken a brief hiatus from movie making since the release of The Fantastic Mr Fox in 2009. His latest release though, is highly anticipated, not least for its ensemble cast, which includes Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Bruce Willis. Frances McDormand and Tilda Swinton.

Thierry Fremaux is the artistic director of the 65th Cannes Film Festival and announced that Anderson's '60s set comedy will be the opening film for this year's celebrated festival. In the announcement, Fremaux said "Wes Anderson is one of the rising powers of American cinema, to which he brings a highly personal touch, particularly in Moonrise Kingdom, which once again is a testimony to the creative freedom in which he continues to evolve." He added, "Sensitive and independent, this admirer of Fellini and Renoir is also in his own right a brilliant and inventive filmmaker." Moonrise Kingdom follows in the footsteps of Midnight in Paris, the Woody Allen movie, which opened the festival last year. Midnight in Paris went on to win an Oscar for its original screenplay, as well as securing a Best Picture nomination.

Wes Anderson already has good pedigree for independent film making. He's also the writer behind cult favourites such as The Royal Tenembaums, Rushmore and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. The Cannes Film Festival 2012 opens on May 16, 2012.