Scarlett Johansson and Tom Hanks light up the Cannes premiere of Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City’

Scarlett Johansson poses at the ‘Asteroid City’ screening in Cannes, France | Photo credit: GONZALO FUENTES

A busload of celebrities hit the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival Tuesday night for the premiere of director Wes Anderson’s new space fable, “Asteroid City.”

As with his previous films, Anderson’s cast is a veritable who’s who of Hollywood stars, including Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Steve Carrell, Bryan Cranston, Adrien Brody, and Margot Robbie.

Tom Hanks poses | Photo credit: GONZALO FUENTES

Notably absent is Bill Murray, who has been in almost all of Anderson’s films but missed this one due to coming down with COVID-19 during filming.

“Asteroid City” is the name of the fictional city in the southwestern United States where the film takes place, set in the 1950s. Famous for its meteor crater and observatory, the city is hosting a convention for young scientists when a UFO interrupts the celebrations and changes the lives of the attendees.

Director Wes Anderson and cast members Jeffrey Wright, Adrien Brody, Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson and Damien Bonnard in Cannes | Photo credit: ERIC GAILLARD

“Asteroid City” marks the third time the director, known for his unique visual style, has competed for the festival’s top prize. His last entry was 2021’s “The French Dispatch.”

Anderson teamed up to write “Asteroid City” with Roman Coppola, with whom he has collaborated in the past on such Oscar-nominated films as “Moonrise Kingdom” and “Isle of Dogs.”