Wes Anderson has only made two animated films, both of which – Fantastic Mr. Fox and Isle of Dogs – would end up getting Oscar nominations. And while Anderson does find the process of making stop-motion films to be an exhausting one, he would absolutely do more.
Speaking at the Annecy Animation Film Festival last year (via Variety), Wes Anderson said that it took some time to come around on the format but it had to come organically. “I didn’t have any real ambition to do an animated movie until I’d made a few live-action movies. It was something I sort of found my way into…I definitely would like to do another…” He added, “The thing that happens is…by the time you finish a phase of what you’re doing, you’re very happy to move on. You don’t usually say, ‘I’d like to spend another year in the cutting room.’ I love the experience of doing a stop-motion movie. Each time, by the time I’ve finished it, I want to go off and do a live-action movie.”
Both of Wes Anderson’s animated features would lose their Oscars to Up and Across the Spider-Verse, respectively, but going two for two is a heck of an accomplishment. It also puts him in the field of pioneering two-time nominees such as John Lasseter, Tim Burton and Lee Unkrich. And we have to say, Fantastic Mr. Fox and Isle of Dogs are without a doubt among some of his best movies. Up there, too, for many would be The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, which also employed stop-motion animation from none other than Henry Selick, director of The Nightmare Before Christmas and Coraline, also nominated for the Best Animated Feature Oscar the same year as Mr. Fox.
It might be quite some time until we see Wes Anderson helm another animated movie, but we will still have The Phoenician Scheme to look forward to as his next feature. Filming on that wrapped last spring, so we can expect to see it in theaters later this year.
Are you a fan of Wes Anderson’s animated films? Do you want to see him do more stop-motion features?
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