Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch officially receives a July 2020 release date. Hollywood's major franchises are having a relatively smaller year when compared to the major events of 2019, but cinephiles still have plenty to be excited about thanks to a slate of exciting projects from some of the industry's premier auteurs. This year sees the release of new efforts from the likes of Christopher Nolan, Edgar Wright, and Denis Villeneuve (among others). Another unique helmsman returning in 2020 is Anderson, with his first live-action film since 2014's The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Described as "a love letter to journalists," The French Dispatch takes place at the (you guessed it) French outpost of an American magazine, telling stories from the publication's last issue. The movie has been in development since late 2018, recruiting a suitably star-studded ensemble (including, of course, Bill Murray). For a number of reasons, moviegoers are looking forward to The French Dispatch, and today it's revealed when audiences will have a chance to see it.
Searchlight Pictures (without the Fox now) announced The French Dispatch will hit theaters on July 24, 2020. It's unknown if the film will have a limited release before expanding to more locations, or be distributed nationwide from the jump. More details concerning that will likely come out closer to release. In the meantime, you can check out the first French Dispatch poster in the space below:
With this, The French Dispatch will serve as counter-programming to the typical summer blockbusters that populate the multiplex in July. Anderson's latest shares a release date with the Dwayne Johnson vehicle Jungle Cruise and is sandwiched between Nolan's sci-fi drama Tenet and Sony's comic book adaptation Morbius. The French Dispatch should be able to do well at the box office even amongst that crowd, as it'll be targeting a very different demographic. Anderson's films have always tended to have a more niche appeal; his highest-grossing film is Grand Budapest Hotel with $172.9 million worldwide. This isn't exactly a commercial play on Searchlight's part, so they don't have to worry about the high-profile competition. Case in point: The French Dispatch's production budget is only $25 million.
What's a little more curious is Searchlight releasing The French Dispatch so far from the usual awards season window, as the film sounds like it could have Oscar potential. And Anderson is a filmmaker with a compelling "overdue" case, with seven career nominations (but no wins). That said, The French Dispatch's summer date doesn't take it out of the Oscar race; a number of Anderson's previous films (including Best Picture nominee The Grand Budapest Hotel) premiered earlier in the year and still scored numerous accolades. Fingers crossed The French Dispatch has similar luck and perhaps nets Anderson his first well-deserved Academy Award.
Source: Searchlight Pictures
