The Phoenician Scheme (2025)
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A ruthless industrialist attempts to reconcile with his estranged daughter while navigating a high-stakes infrastructure project in Phoenicia.
The story
In 1950, stateless arms dealer and industrialist Anatole "Zsa-Zsa" Korda narrowly survives a sixth assassination attempt. Knowing he cannot run forever, Korda tries to mend his relationship with his only daughter, Catholic novice Sister Liesl, and enrolls her in his ambitious scheme to overhaul the infrastructure of Phoenicia using slave labor. However, a consortium of governments around the world, seeking to curb Korda's tendency to manipulate global conflict and peace to suit his own interests, conspires to drive up the price of building materials, jeopardizing the project's financing and threatening to bankrupt Korda.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1950, industrialist Anatole "Zsa-Zsa" Korda seeks to reconcile with his daughter, Sister Liesl, while attempting to fund a massive infrastructure project in Phoenicia. As a global consortium tries to sabotage his funding, Korda travels to swindle partners, including a group of Californians, a French gangster, and an East Coast businessman. During his journey, Korda experiences visions of the afterlife and confesses his past sins to Liesl. Despite the turmoil, they face a series of obstacles, including a spy named Bjørn and a treacherous brother, Nubar. After Korda's plane is sabotaged and his fortune is nearly lost, he ultimately pours his personal wealth into the project and faces off against Nubar. In the end, Korda and Liesl reconcile and retire to a simple life running a bistro, while Bjørn and Liesl begin a relationship.
- First release year
- 2025
- Runtime (minutes)
- 101
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Wes Anderson
- Writers
- Wes Anderson · screenplay; Wes Anderson · story; Roman Coppola · story
- Cast and characters
- Benicio del Toro · Anatole "Zsa-Zsa" Korda; Mia Threapleton · Sister Liesl; Michael Cera; Riz Ahmed; Tom Hanks; Bryan Cranston
- Genres
- black comedy; espionage thriller
- Themes
- father-daughter relationship; religion; legacy
- Tone and mood
- black comedy; quirky
- Setting
- 1950, Phoenicia and various international locations
- Premise and plot tags
- espionage; industrialist; historical
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 70 · scale: 100 · review count: 53; CinemaScore · score: B- · scale: A+ to F; PostTrak · score: 81%
- Production trivia
- The film features a character named Zsa-Zsa Korda whose name and traits are inspired by Armenian oil magnate Calouste Gulbenkian.; The film's afterlife sequences were inspired by Luis Buñuel and the film A Matter of Life and Death.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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