New Year, new movie: Focus Features has given us the first trailer for Wes Anderson’s eagerly anticipated Moonrise Kingdom.

Right off the bat, I have to say that if you’re a fan of Anderson’s previous fun, lyrical, non-linear films, including Rushmore, The Royal Tennenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Darjeeling Limited and the Fantastic Mr. Fox, then I think you’re going to like this trailer, and ultimately, the movie as well. (If you need a crash course, this AMEX ad will pretty much tell you everything you need to know.)

The official synopsis:

Set on an island off the coast of New England in the summer of 1965, MOONRISE KINGDOM tells the story of two twelve-year-olds(Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward)  who fall in love, make a secret pact, and run away together into the wilderness. As various authorities try to hunt them down, a violent storm is brewing off-shore — and the peaceful island community is turned upside down in more ways than anyone can handle. Bruce Willis plays the local sheriff. Edward Norton is a Khaki Scout troop leader. Bill Murray and Frances McDormand portray the young girl’s parents. 

The only way to align that simple paragraph with what we see in the trailer is to filter it through Wes Anderson’s skewed, quirky, Crayola-colored vision of the world.

The cast also includes Tilda Swinton, Harvey Keitel and Jason Schwartzman.

Murray and Schwartzman are two of the usual players from Anderson’s repertory company. They’ve been with him since Rushmore. I love that Frances McDormand is finally in something else with Edward Norton (after Primal Fear, his first film) and I’ll see this just to find out if they have a meaty scene together. By the way, Bruce Willis has SEVEN films set for release in 2012. (I couldn’t believe it either.) As for Swinton, I can’t believe it took Anderson this long to cast her. They seem made for each other. The only thing that could make this cast better would be the inclusion of Adrien Brody, but you can’t have everything.

Moonrise Kingdom, written by Anderson and Roman Coppola (co-writer, with Anderson and Schwartzman, of Darjeeling Limited), gets a limited May 25 release. I can't wait for more! Enjoy the trailer!

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Bored to Death star, Jason Schwartzman and his wife, Brady Cunningham welcomed a baby girl on December 4 in Los Angeles, according to People.

The Fantastic Mr. Fox Premieres in London

They named her Marlowe Rivers Schwartzman…. and she’s one month old today!  So that means mom and dad just might be figuring out a schedule…. that she will shortly change, because that’s what babies do.  Their mission in life for the first few months is to keep mom and dad on their toes, always guessing.  You gotta love it…

Congrats to the happy, new parents!

Photo: WENN

George Clooney takes his lovely new lady Elisabetta Canalis to The Times BFI London Film Festival: Fantastic Mr Fox opening gala at the Odeon Leicester Square.  And perhaps he is ready to settle down with having some kids:

“I am planning to adopt. I am going to adopt some of Brad Pitt’s kids. I owe him.”

Even one kid running around my villa makes me nervous, so I’m definitely not a candidate for father of the year. If I need to surround myself with children and feel like I have this big extended family, I can always call Brad and Angelina and ask them to stay with me, just to remind myself why I’m so happy.”

At least he’s honest?  Also attending the premiere:

• Jason Schwartzman
• Jonathan Ross
• Sir Ben Kingsley
• Bill Murray
• Jennifer Tilley
• Cindy Crawford
• Thandie Newton
• Sophie Dahl
•  Jamie Cullen
• John Hurt
• David Morrissey

Pictures after the break

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