Excitement has been building since the announcement of The Criterion Collection‘s upcoming release of The Wes Anderson Archives, a meticulously curated 10-film box set set to launch on September 30th. This lavish collection promises to be a must-have for cinephiles and fans of Wes Anderson alike, even if it were to be a basic offering. However, this set goes beyond mere quantity, featuring an impressive total of 20 discs, which includes notable enhancements over the original individual releases of these iconic films.
In a recent appearance on the IndieWire Filmmaker Toolkit podcast, Wes Anderson shared intriguing insights regarding what new content may be included in the Criterion box set. Although he was somewhat reserved about specific details, he did emphasize, “I’m not big on, ‘Let’s make a new version.’ For me, it’s like the movie has gone out and it sort of belongs to the audience at that point…In the process of this Criterion box set, for instance, there were things that we could refine. There were things that didn’t translate quite right in the original home video versions that we corrected.” This statement highlights Anderson’s commitment to preserving the integrity of his work while also enhancing the viewing experience for fans.
Wes Anderson, renowned as one of the most celebrated directors represented in The Criterion Collection, envisions this box set as the ideal representation of his extensive filmography. He remarked, “I always have thought of my films for whatever reason, as being a body of work, an ongoing thing, not just the films as one by one, but as a set of things. I used to say, I feel like the characters from one of my films could walk into another of my films and fit into that world. Eventually, I started making period pictures, where that doesn’t quite make as much sense anymore.” This philosophical view on filmmaking illustrates how deeply interconnected his stories and characters are. Anderson joins the ranks of legendary filmmakers like Ingmar Bergman and Akira Kurosawa in receiving such a comprehensive box set, further solidifying his place in cinematic history.
The Wes Anderson Archives encompasses nearly every film crafted by the director, starting from his debut with Bottle Rocket in 1998 all the way to his latest work, The French Dispatch, released in 2021. While it would have been a treat to include Asteroid City and The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More, along with a dedicated space for The Phoenician Scheme (which is currently available), this collection is not intended to be exhaustive. Nevertheless, fans can look forward to stunning 4K remasters, an impressive 25 hours of special features, and beautifully illustrated books accompanying each film. The suggested retail price is set at $399.96, but savvy shoppers can anticipate discounts during Criterion’s annual 50% off sale, potentially reducing the cost to around $200.
