Wes Anderson’s "Isle of Dogs" to open Berlin Film Festival
BERLIN — This winter's Berlin International Film Festival will open with a world premiere of Wes Anderson's new animated film, "Isle of Dogs." The star-studded cast includes the voices of Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson and Tilda Swinton among others.
Festival organizers said Monday that Anderson's movie will open the event's 68th edition on Feb. 15. "Isle of Dogs" is set in dystopian Japan and follows the story of Atari Kobayashi, a 12-year-old ward to Mayor Kobayashi. He sets off to Trash Island to find his bodyguard dog, Spots, after all dogs of Megasaki City are banished there. He teams up with the island's dogs on an epic journey.
"Isle of Dogs" is set for release in U.S. movie theaters in March and internationally in April. It will be the first animated film to open the Berlin festival, and the fourth movie Anderson has presented in the event's competition. Most recently, he brought "The Grand Budapest Hotel" to open the festival in 2014.
German director Tom Tykwer will head the jury at the festival, which runs until Feb. 25. Other movies and jurors haven't yet been announced.