Wes Anderson Fans, Rejoice: Tampa Theatre Launches a “Wes-rospective” Ahead of The Phoenician Scheme Premiere

By Avery Anderson

If you’ve ever longed to live inside a Wes Anderson film — where color palettes are curated with military precision and dysfunction is served with a side of deadpan wit — Tampa Theatre has your next week planned out for you.

In anticipation of the filmmaker’s latest cinematic confection, The Phoenician Scheme, the historic movie palace will present a six-film “Wes-rospective” from May 30 through June 3, featuring some of Anderson’s most beloved (and delightfully bizarre) films. The retrospective leads into the Tampa debut of The Phoenician Scheme on Thursday, June 5 — Anderson’s first feature since 2023’s Asteroid City, and reportedly one of his most ambitious yet.

What We Know So Far (Which Isn’t Much)

In classic Anderson fashion, details about The Phoenician Scheme have been tightly under wraps. But from the official trailer — a jewel box of aerial shots, existential quips, and pastel bombast — here’s what we can piece together:
Benicio Del Toro stars as an eccentric arms dealer and aviation tycoon who, after a near-death plane crash, chooses to leave his estate not to his nine sons but to his daughter — a nun. Also included in his final wishes? A sweeping infrastructure project to transform the fictional (we think?) country of Phoenicia.

Naturally, the cast list reads like a film nerd’s fever dream: Tom Hanks, Tilda Swinton, Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie, Scarlett Johansson, and yes — Bill Murray as God.

The Wes-rospective Lineup: Six Days of Symmetrical Nostalgia

Whether you’re a lifelong fan or need a crash course in Anderson’s cinematic universe, Tampa Theatre’s Wes-rospective offers the perfect way to revisit the films that made him a singular voice in contemporary film. Here’s what’s playing:

• Isle of Dogs (2018) – Friday, May 30 at 7:30pm
  A stop-motion triumph set in a dystopian Japan, where a boy searches for his exiled pup.
• Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) – Saturday, May 31 at 4:30pm
  George Clooney voices the slickest fox in the woods in this Roald Dahl adaptation gone stylishly rogue.
• The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) – Saturday, May 31 at 7:30pm
  A pink hotel, a stolen painting, a prison escape, and Ralph Fiennes in a career-defining role.
• The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) – Sunday, June 1 at 6:00pm
  The dysfunctional family drama that launched a thousand Halloween costumes.
• The Darjeeling Limited (2007) – Monday, June 2 at 7:30pm
  Three estranged brothers reunite on a soul-searching train trip across India.
• Asteroid City (2023) – Tuesday, June 3 at 7:30pm
  A meta-science fair, a quarantine zone, and a lot of longing under a desert sky.

Tickets & Details

Tickets for Wes-rospective films are $10.00.
The Phoenician Scheme opens Thursday, June 5 — tickets are $12.00 for evening showings / $10.00 for matinees.

Advance tickets for all films are available at www.TampaTheatre.org or in person at the Tampa Theatre Box Office
📍 711 N. Franklin Street, Tampa, FL 33602

Why It Matters

In a time when many historic theatres are struggling to compete with streaming, Tampa Theatre’s programming reminds us why moviegoing matters. A curated series like this turns film into a shared ritual — a way to gather, reflect, and remember that sometimes the most symmetrical stories still have sharp edges.

So pull on your mustard-yellow corduroys, grab a friend, and immerse yourself in the wonderfully weird world of Wes.