'Asteroid City's Scarlett Johansson and Jason Schwartzman

Moviefone speaks with Scarlett Johansson and Jason Schwartzman about 'Asteroid City.' "This movie is uncomfortable, and it's good to prepare to let it wash over you," she said.

Opening in theaters in limited release on June 16th and in wide release on June 23rd is the latest movie from acclaimed filmmaker Wes Anderson (‘The Royal Tenenbaums,’ ‘The French Dispatch’) entitled ‘Asteroid City.’

What is the plot of ‘Asteroid City’?

'Asteroid City' takes place in a fictional American desert town circa 1955. The itinerary of a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention (organized to bring together students and parents from across the country for fellowship and scholarly competition) is spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events.

Asteroid City

PG-131 hr 45 minJun 16th, 2023

Showtimes & Tickets

Watch Asteroid City Online

Who is in the cast of ‘Asteroid City?’

‘Asteroid City’ stars Jason Schwartzman ('Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse') as Augie Steenbeck, Scarlett Johansson ('Black Widow') as Midge Campbell, Tom Hanks ('A Man Called Otto') as Stanley Zak, Jeffrey Wright ('The Batman') as General Grif Gibson, Tilda Swinton ('Doctor Strange') as Dr. Hickenlooper, Bryan Cranston ('Jerry & Marge Go Large') as the narrator, Edward Norton ('Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery') as Conrad Earp, Adrien Brody ('Predators') as Schubert Green, Liev Schreiber ('Spotlight') as J.J. Kellogg, Hope Davis ('Real Steel') as Sandy Borden, Stephen Park ('Fargo') as Roger Cho, Rupert Friend ('Hitman: Agent 47') as Montana, Maya Hawke ('Once Upon a Time in Hollywood') as June Douglas, Steve Carell ('Vice') as a motel manager, Matt Dillon ('There's Something About Mary') as Hank, Hong Chau ('The Whale') as Polly Green, Willem Dafoe ('Inside') as Saltzburg Keitel, Margot Robbie ('Babylon') as a TV actress, and Jeff Goldblum ('Jurassic World Dominion') as an Alien.

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Scarlett Johansson and Jason Schwartzman about their work on ‘Asteroid City,’ what fans can expect from the film and working with filmmaker Wes Anderson.

(L to R) Jason Schwartzman and Scarlett Johansson in writer/director Wes Anderson's 'Asteroid City,' a Focus Features release.

You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Johansson, Schwartzman, Jeffrey Wright, Adrien Brody, Rupert Friend, and Maya Hawke.

Moviefone: To begin with, Scarlett, what would you say to moviegoers sitting down to watch this film to prepare them for the cinematic experience they are about to have?

Scarlett Johansson: What would I say, to prepare them? I don't know. I don't like knowing anything about a movie before I go. I just like to go in and be surprised. You just got to let the movie wash over you. I would say be prepared to see it more than once because it's very dense and complex, and I've gotten a lot more out of seeing it a few times. There's a few movies where I feel like I've had that experience. I remember seeing ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ and I remember I saw it and I really liked it. Then the second time I saw it, I really didn't like it. Then the third time, and now that obviously I've seen it many times, I really love it, and I notice different things about it all the time. There's just some movies that there's something uncomfortable about them. I think this movie is, at least for me, it's uncomfortable. So I feel like it's good to kind of prepare to let it wash over you a few times.

Grace Edwards as Dinah, Scarlett Johansson as Midge Campbell and Damien Bonnaro as Bodyguard/Driver in writer/director Wes Anderson's 'Asteroid City,' a Focus Features release.

(L to R) Grace Edwards as Dinah, Scarlett Johansson as Midge Campbell and Damien Bonnaro as Bodyguard/Driver in writer/director Wes Anderson's 'Asteroid City,' a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features

Related Article: Jason Schwartzman Talks 'There There'

MF: Jason, what would you tell viewers to get them ready for Wes Anderson’s latest movie?

Jason Schwartzman: I would say that there's no wrong way to react to it, which is, I think a fun thing. I've watched parts of it with, let's say my wife and a different person. The reaction to a scene, one person could laugh and the other person could be just really taken aback, or confused, or sad. Both of those reactions are real. I think that's a really hard place to write and to make things, and to exist in that space is really cool. So yeah, that'd be my only advice is I wouldn't question whether or not if what you're feeling or thinking is right. It just goes along with what Scarlett's saying. It is right. Just go with it. Then it's what the characters are saying in the movie, so just keep going. Don't question it. Just live it.

(L to R) Writer/director Wes Anderson, actor Jason Schwartzman and actor Tom Hanks on the set of 'Asteroid City,' a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Roger Do Minh/Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features.

MF: Scarlett, obviously you worked with Wes Anderson on the animated ‘Isle of Dogs,’ but what was it like for you to finally work with him on a live-action movie?

Scarlett Johansson: Well, I got to prepare this with him. He sent me this script and I had many months to talk to him about it and share movies and books and stuff like that, and different vocal stuff. I knew Jason was doing some vocal work too, so I tried to just do some prep work on it and make sure that when we got there, that all the pieces were fitting together. I didn't get that experience on ‘Isle of Dogs’, so that was fun. The character building part of it was exciting and new for me with Wes, and I loved it. I didn't have any expectations, but I certainly was surprised I guess, that he was so open to collaborating like that and very open. He didn't have any particular idea of what this person's background is, or where they came from, but Wes had great suggestions and it was fun.

Writer/director Wes Anderson on the set of 'Asteroid City,' a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Roger Do Minh/Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features

MF: Finally, Jason, what was it like for you working with Scarlett on this film?

Jason Schwartzman: Just as the scheduling of it worked out, I was there from the very beginning to the very end. I was even there after Wes left. I have a photo of Wes' empty hotel room. But I just will say that Scarlett came towards the end of the time there and we were doing these little scenes and I would say that Wes had so much excitement for Scarlett to come and to be there, and just looking forward to her arrival. It was a really great, brand new exciting experience. Then when she did arrive and we started to do these scenes, just the look on his face of being satiated, I guess. He was so truly happy and I could just see how much he'd been waiting and talking about it, and how excited and how much that meant to him.