Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs to premiere at Berlin Film Festival

Wes Anderson’s upcoming stop-motion animated feature Isle of Dogs will premiere at Berlin Film Festival 2018 in February, it has been announced. The film will be the first animation ever to open the festival; Wes’ last film The Grand Budapest Hotel also opened the 2014 Berlinale and won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize. Festival director Dieter Kosslick said the new film will “capture audiences’ hearts with its Wes Anderson charm”.

The film is set in dystopian near-future Japan, where an epidemic of dog flu means all the canines of Megasaki City have been exiled to Trash Island. It tells the story of 12-year-old Atari Kobayaski on the search for his dog Spots, and the dogs who help him along the way. Voicing the characters are a host of high profile actors including Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton, Bryan Cranston, Jeff Goldblum, Scarlett Johansson, Harvey Keitel and, of course, Bill Murray.

Berlinale takes place from 15–25 February 2018. Isle of Dogs will be on general release in the US on 23 March 2018 and internationally from April 2018. Watch the full trailer below.