Asteroid City: Tom Hanks And Wes Anderson's Collaboration Was A Long Time Coming

With "Asteroid City," Wes Anderson returns to the box office after a successful Cannes premiere, dragging what seems like half of Hollywood's A-list in tow. Over the years, Anderson has built up a roster of talent with whom he frequently collaborates, but this time around he's adding even more names. Among the most recognizable is Tom Hanks, with the film marking his first time in an Anderson project.

But in an "Asteroid City" press conference attended by Looper, Hanks revealed that he's known the esteemed director for quite some time, having first met him over dinner in Rome about 15 years ago. Though Hanks couldn't recall all the details, he said it was Edward Norton (another frequent Anderson star) who invited him to meet the filmmaker over dinner in the Italian capital. Fine dining is, apparently, a large part of the Wes Anderson lifestyle.

Hanks noted that his preconceptions of Anderson were quickly put to rest upon their meeting. "Part of it, it was like, 'That's Wes Anderson?'" Hanks said, quipping, "I would imagine, you know, bespectacled and, you know, pompous, or smoking a pipe." But while the two developed a rapport immediately, they didn't discuss any potential projects over that hearty Italian supper. "We didn't talk about anything at all," said Hanks, "but I don't know if I said at that point, 'Hey, come on, man. Come on. Let me into that rep company of yours. Gimme a call.'"

Years later, the two now have a movie landing in theaters. It was a long time coming, and it happened not because of another magical dinner date, but because of something much simpler: an email.

Wes Anderson and Tom Hanks first met 15 years ago in Rome, connected by Edward Norton, but they wouldn't work on a film together until Anderson reached out by email. As Hanks noted during the "Asteroid City" press event Looper attended, "This came about literally because of a lovely email. It said — we had met since [Rome] a couple times — and it said, 'Would you like to come and join us?' and I said, 'Yeah, sure!'"

But as with anything Anderson undertakes, it wasn't as simple as opting in. As other actors who've worked with Anderson have noted, the director creates entire animated versions of his movies to act as an elaborate storyboard before photography has begun. "What is odd," Hanks said, "is he sends you a version of the movie that doesn't really need you. The animatic of the film he put together ... you see a complete, animatic version of the movie, which I saw, and I called [Anderson] up and said, 'Well, I'm in, but I don't see how you need anybody to do this now because just the animatic is kind of lovely.'"

Anderson chimed in to note that Hanks had screened the animatic on a big screen. "I don't know if it was meant for that," the director said, to which Hanks congenially retorted, "Looked like 'Beauty and the Beast' to us."

"Asteroid City" is a series of nested narratives involving plays within plays and a desert town reeling in the wake of an alien visitation. Hanks plays a man whose daughter has recently died. Reviews call the film classic Wes Anderson fare, so it's best to make sure you're feeling whimsical and twee before seeing it when it lands in theaters on June 23.