Wes Anderson's latest film, The Phoenician Scheme, may not have made a big splash in theaters, but it's certainly making a comeback on streaming. Released in May 2025 after a premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, The Phoenician Scheme grossed just over $40.5 million at the worldwide box office against a $30 million budget, making it one of the lowest-earning Wes Anderson movies.
However, audiences are discovering The Phoenician Scheme on HBO Max, where it currently sits at no. 6 on the streamer's international top 10 most-watched movies list (via Flix Patrol). (It should be noted that The Phoenician Scheme is not available to stream on HBO Max in the U.S., though it can be accessed on Prime Video.) Despite its lackluster box office performance, Anderson fans will not want to miss The Phoenician Scheme.
What Is The Phoenician Scheme About?
In his second collaboration with Wes Anderson, Benicio del Toro leads the 1950s-set The Phoenician Scheme as Anatole "Zsa Zsa" Korda, an incredibly wealthy arms dealer who embarks on his most ambitious project yet — industrializing the fictional nation of Phoenicia. Amidst many obstacles, including multiple assassination attempts, Zsa Zsa also hopes to reconcile with his estranged daughter, Liesl (Mia Threapleton), who is now a nun.
Like most of his films, The Phoenician Scheme boasts a starry ensemble cast including Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Riz Ahmed, Bryan Cranston, Jeffrey Wright, Rupert Friend, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Anderson's most frequent collaborator, Bill Murray. However, many credit Michael Cera, in his Anderson debut, for stealing the show as Bjorn, a nerdy entomologist with a dark secret.
Anderson fans can expect his trademark whimsy, aesthetic, and themes of family dysfunction here. What really makes The Phoenician Scheme stand out in Anderson's impressive filmography is the chemistry between del Toro and Threapleton, who showcase what is perhaps the most complex and deep parent-child relationship in any Anderson movie to date.
The Phoenician Scheme Continued Wes Anderson's Incredible Streak
Though The Phoenician Scheme did not achieve the critical acclaim of The Grand Budapest Hotel or Fantastic Mr. Fox, it earned a respectable 77% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. This makes The Phoenician Scheme Wes Anderson's ninth Fresh film in a row, and in fact, the director would have a perfect streak were it not for The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou's 57% Rotten score.
Critics praised The Phoenician Scheme for being a captivating, intricate caper, though they acknowledged that Anderson was playing very much within his comfort zone with this film. Indeed, The Phoenician Scheme is very unlikely to achieve the cult status of Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, or even The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, but it's definitely worth watching — as HBO Max subscribers can attest.
