Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom has been scoring plenty of praise, not only from critics who have cheered his tender tale of two romance-fueled adolescent runaways, but also from the business end of the filmmaking industry as this limited release has recently broken the record for non-animated per screen averages. (Making $130,752 when playing in only four theaters, it broke the record previously held by the much anticipated musical Dreamgirls.) And as the limited release continues to expand to new cities, Focus Features is unveiling more and more online content to lure in moviegoers.
First came a clip featuring newcomers to Anderson's aesthetic, Bruce Willis, Tilda Swinton, and Edward Norton. Next four featurettes revealing Moonrise Kingdom's enchanting setting, the whimsical world of New Penzance, narrated by Bob Balaban were revealed. And then came a tour of the set with recurring Anderson collaborator Bill Murray. Now ComingSoon has word on Anderson's next incentive, an animated short inspired by some of the film's most intriguing props.
One of the quirks of the romance's heroine Suzy is that she is a devoted bookworm who takes a suitcase stuffed with YA novels to accompany her on her exploits with her bespectacled paramour, Sam. Anderson reveals these are the source of the upcoming cartoon, saying:
"[Suzy has] a suitcase full of these young adult fantasy type novels, sort of sci-fi/fantasy books. We had to invent them and give a little glimpse of each one. Different artists—most of whom very close to the filmmakers—were doing these. In fact, we have now animated them, each little passage, each in the style of the cover of the book. We've made a little short film that's hosted by Bob Balaban, the narrator in our movie. That will come out next week on the internet. It'll be a little companion piece to the movie."
Much like his short Hotel Chevalier, which was unveiled online to correspond to The Darjeeling Limited's theatrical release, these animated snippets won't be required viewing, but rather an additional insight into the diegesis, intended for those who just can't get enough of Anderson's latest winsome adventure. For more on Moonrise Kingdom check out our Blend Film Database.
