Scarlett Johansson was thrilled to have another opportunity to work with Wes Anderson on his new film Asteroid City in which she plays a fictional actress modelled after Oscar-winner Bette Davis.
In an interview with EW Scarlett spoke about her experience.
"I work well with directors who like to work hard and are precise and relentless," Johansson said.
"Wes gets excited by the process of repetitive takes and what that brings out of you. It's almost like you're doing play rehearsals, but you're getting it all on film, and I like that kind of work."
Scarlett revealed Wes Anderson sent her the script during lockdown in 2020, and she was eager to discuss the details of the character with him.
"She is an open book, but in the way that actors can be, where they sort of tell you both everything and nothing. She's an enigma."
"She talks a lot about her past and what drove her. I had a lot of questions about all of that stuff and what it all meant. Wes loves to talk about character nuance."
Further elaborating on her character Scarlett added:
"She's formidable and vulnerable at the same time and just really captivating. Bette Davis' whole career, the span of it, was something I could hang my hat on."
"I'm not playing Bette Davis, but it helped give an idea of what this person's career is and what it was like to be a woman in those circumstances then."
Scarlett also praised co-star Jason Schwartzman for being present and supportive during filming, and notes that Anderson's precision and repetition until getting things right works for Schwartzman's acting style too.
Asteroid City will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival before being released in U.S. theaters on June 16.
