I really doubt that; the last time Wes Anderson had a wide release movie, it was Fantastic Mr. Fox ... which flopped, actually.
Fantastic Mr. Fox has gone on to be a cult favorite, but that's the thing; Anderson was always a cult favorite. That's why they decided to release Fantastic Mr. Fox wide. He can do gangbusters on a limited, "arthouse" release, but in a wide release, he'll probably just flop again, regardless of how the movie turns out, and a movie starring a former professional wrestler based on an arcade game and a Wes Anderson movie are not competing for the same audience.
The release date is actually completely mystifying to a lot of movie type sites, especially award sites, though, because he's releasing in early spring, i.e. he'll be forgotten by next spring, when the Oscars come around. Of course, the truth is, he's not gunning for awards either; the fact that his next movie is a stop-motion furry sci-fi should have been a clue.
I suspect the movie got moved up because he realized he'd finish it earlier. He makes movies; if the Royal Tennenbaums becomes a minor hit, that's nice. If The Grand Budapest Hotel is nominated for Best Picture and gets him a Best Director nomination as well, that's nice, too. But the truth is, Wes Anderson's going to do whatever the hell Wes Anderson's going to do, apparently.
I really doubt that; the last time Wes Anderson had a wide release movie, it was Fantastic Mr. Fox ... which flopped, actually.
Fantastic Mr. Fox has gone on to be a cult favorite, but that's the thing; Anderson was always a cult favorite. That's why they decided to release Fantastic Mr. Fox wide. He can do gangbusters on a limited, "arthouse" release, but in a wide release, he'll probably just flop again, regardless of how the movie turns out, and a movie starring a former professional wrestler based on an arcade game and a Wes Anderson movie are not competing for the same audience.
The release date is actually completely mystifying to a lot of movie type sites, especially award sites, though, because he's releasing in early spring, i.e. he'll be forgotten by next spring, when the Oscars come around. Of course, the truth is, he's not gunning for awards either; the fact that his next movie is a stop-motion furry sci-fi should have been a clue.
I suspect the movie got moved up because he realized he'd finish it earlier. He makes movies; if the Royal Tennenbaums becomes a minor hit, that's nice. If The Grand Budapest Hotel is nominated for Best Picture and gets him a Best Director nomination as well, that's nice, too. But the truth is, Wes Anderson's going to do whatever the hell Wes Anderson's going to do, apparently.