The early casting talk for Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel promised a very different sort of film than we'd seen before from the director. In following up Anderson's hit Moonrise Kingdom, Johnny Depp and Angela Lansbury were two of the new names joining the usual roster of Anderson favorites. But Depp was never truly involved(bummer), and now it appears Lansbury's stage schedule has forced her to drop out, as well. Double bummer.
But there has been one new addition that more than makes up for it, as Ralph Fiennes has come aboard in the role of a well-mannered psychic concierge named M. Gustave. We still don't know much about the Euro plot, although the psychic element is one we've been aware of for awhile. Sounds like a perfect fit for Fiennes, and even if it isn't, he's proven to be adaptable to just about everything. He'll join Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Jude Law, and Owen Wilson, with Willem Dafoe, Adrien Brody, and Jeff Goldblum expected.
Filming should begin soon in Germany.[THR]
