Anderson barks up right tree with ‘Dogs’ cast
BERLIN — The 68th Berlin International Film Festival opened yesterday as Wes Anderson world premiered his animated “Isle of Dogs.”
At a press conference before the red carpet gala, Anderson remained the focus as he sat alongside several of his voice cast including Bryan Cranston, Greta Gerwig, Bill Murray and Liev Schreiber.
“I started this project to do a story,” Anderson, 48, explained of his dazzlingly inventive fable. “It doesn’t sound like a great pitch — a movie about a pack of dogs abandoned on a garbage dump.”
With his buds, the film’s screenwriters Roman Coppola (Sofia’s brother) and Jason Schwartzman, Anderson said “for years we’ve been talking about something to do in Japan and our shared love of Japanese cinema.”
“This story could have taken place anywhere, but the thing that made it come to life for us was that it should be in a fantasy version of Japan.”
As to how he snared a cast that also boasts Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand and Yoko Ono, “These are actors I’ve either worked with before or loved for years.
“One thing about an animated movie,” he added impishly, “you can’t really say, ‘Unavailable.’ We can do it anytime. We can do it at your house! There is just no excuse. So that helps.”
“That was my part — the unavailable thing. I did not have that option,” Murray said.
How did Murray, the star of Anderson’s “Rushmore” and “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,” find being just a voice?
“As far as being just a voice, I’m cranked up with chocolate and a little bit of champagne right now, and I’m going to say that being a voice with this group is a little like being in the ‘We Are the World’ video. These are some of the great voices of cinema. I’m very happy even if I just get one voice.”
An upbeat Anderson led a “Happy Birthday” singalong to Koyu Rankin, who voices Atari, the Japanese orphan who rescues the imprisoned dogs.
“Koyu turns 11 today, and Atari is 12,” the filmmaker noted. “We recorded two years ago, so he played old. When you do a movie like this, the work with actors happens early in the process and briskly. So much of what we do after is inspired by the voices we hear. Koyu’s voice was a wonderful voice.” (“Isle of Dogs” opens March 23.)