It’s an age-old adage in Hollywood: “Get in good with Wes Anderson, and you’re guaranteed a paycheck and a quirky role as, like, a heartbroken philatelist once every 3-to-5 years.” Barry star Henry Winkler is the latest beneficiary of this unofficial policy, having signed on for a role in Anderson’s latest, The French Dispatch, about a group of journalists living in 20th century Paris. Winkler—whose late-career renaissance began with Adam Sandler, drifted into Arrested Development, and hit a new peak with his Emmy-winning role in Bill Hader’s hitman comedy—is just the latest new member of Anderson’s acting menagerie, alongside Saoirse Ronan, Timothée Chalamet, Jeffrey Wright, and Benicio del Toro, all of whom we have to assume are about to be mercilessly hazed by Bill Murray and Tilda Swinton as part of Anderson’s centrally composed, delicately soundtracked process of breaking in new fish.
The French Dispatch is mark’s Anderson’s return to live-action after a detour back into stop-motion animation with last year’s Isle Of Dogs. Details about the plot and release date are being kept sparse, but we can only assume that if Winkler nails the part, he’ll be dining on roles as offbeat weirdos with impeccable fashion senses for years to come.