'The Grand Budapest Hotel' - Meet Wes Anderson's Gang [Trailer + Pictures]

Wes Anderson’s brand of frenetic, witty energy is bursting from the seams in the new trailer for The Grand Budapest Hotel. The comedy drama centres on a hotel concierge’s unlikely friendship with a lobby boy, and, as you’ve come to expect with an Anderson film, features an array of brilliant talent in its ranks.

The trailer for the film, which is due for release on March 7th in the U.S; February 28th in the U.K, is reminiscent of every film in Anderson’s showreel, but most notably, The Darjeeling Limited.

The Grand Budapest Hotel - Some might see similarities to the hotel in The Royal Tenenbaums

The Texas-born director is known for his unique visual and narrative style, combining simple dialogue with oft-elaborate set pieces, like the train in Darjeeling, the church and scout camps in Moonrise Kingdom, and The Royal Tenenbaum’s inner-city house.

His latest feast for both the eyes and the funnybone sees some of his long time collaborators return, while a host of new stars are set to flourish under the wing of the celebrated auteur.

Watch the trailer for Grand Budapest Hotel here

Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman, Edward Norton and Bill Murray all return to work with Anderson, while big names, Jeff Goldblum, Tilda Swinton, Willem Dafoe and Harvey Keitel all feature.

One actor, still planting the roots of her career, is Saoirse Ronan. Grand Budapest Hotel could prove the catalyst for those roots to flourish, although some may argue her starring role in This is How I Live Now was that catalyst and her inclusion in Anderson’s film is the next step.

Saoirse & Tony in their first Anderson film

In an interview with The L.A Times last year, Anderson – who doesn’t talk about his work at any great lengths, gave a little info on the new project. "As you might gather from the title, a hotel figures prominently in it," he explained.

"And it mostly takes place about 85 years ago. And it's kind of European ... a bit inspired partly by Hollywood Europe, and also by some European writers around that time. Yeah. That's a little bit about it. Kind of vague, but ..."

That’s all you’re going to get, folks.

Anderson’s last film, Moonrise Kingdom, became a box office hit last year, grossing more than $45 million after its launch during Memorial Day weekend. “More than anything,” Anderson said of the romantic comedy to Time Out, “this story comes from what I wished was happening to me when I was that age.” Our critic Rich Cline considered the movie an excellent addition to Anderson's ouevre. 

With a reputation for the quirky, the deadpan, the elaborate, and, most of all, the sublime, Wes Anderson’s new project is one of his most hotly anticipated. We'd expect Grand Budapest Hotel to trump Moonrise Kingdom's impressive Memorial Day showing.

M. Gustave and his loyal Lobby Boy

Saoirse Ronan and Edward Norton as their characters Agatha and Henckels

 
Adrien Brody and Tilda Swinton are mother and son Dmitri and Madame D.

 
Harvey Keitel and Bill Murray play Ludwig and M. Ivan in the movie

 
Jeff Goldblum and Willem Dafoe play the roles of Kovacs and Jopling

 
Owen Wilson plays M. Chuck while Tom Wilkinson's character is credited simply Author

Jason Schwartzman in The Grand Budapest Hotel

 
Mathieu Amalric and F. Murray Abraham as their characters Serge and Mr. Moustafa

Edward Norton & troupes in The Grand Budapest Hotel

Owen Wilson in The Grand Budapest Hotel