Scarlett Johansson Finds Refuge From the Marvel Drama With Wes Anderson

At long last, Scarlett Johansson seems to have found herself a drama-free zone: the consequence-free cinematic universe of Wes Anderson. She’s the latest star to join the cast of the director’s next project, currently filming in Spain. Unsurprisingly, it involves some of Anderson’s usuals—Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzmann, and Bill Murray But Johansson, who’s only worked with Anderson behind the camera, on his 2018 stop-motion animated film Isle of Dogs, won’t be the only newcomer. This time, Anderson has also enlisted Tom Hanks, Margot Robbie, and Rupert Friend.

The Hollywood Reporter made the casting announcement on Monday, amidst a flurry of headlines about Johansson’s legal battle with Disney over the release of Black Widow. Late last month, the Marvel film’s titular star boldly filed a lawsuit against the entertainment behemoth, alleging that it “intentionally” breached her contract by moving up the film’s release date on its streaming platform, Disney+, to the same time as its release in theaters. (Because box office performance reportedly largely figured into her compensation, the dual release could have cost Johansson up to as much as $50 million.)

Up until her ninth and final film with Marvel, her relationship with the franchise had been going smoothly. Between her choices of roles and commitment to Woody Allen, the same can’t be said for most of her recent projects; Johansson has even said that she’s “made a career” out of courting controversy.

No details have been shared about Johansson’s role in Anderson’s forthcoming film, which also remains a mystery. It’s set to wrap production in late September, around the same time as the long-awaited release of the equally star-studded The French Dispatch. Whenever it does hit theaters, keep an eye out for the red carpet; even without Timothée Chalamet, it seems guaranteed not to disappoint.