Wes Anderson Turns Trump’s Tariff into a Cannes Comedy

At this year’s Cannes Film Festival, filmmaker Wes Anderson used his platform not just to promote his latest cinematic project, The Phoenician Scheme, but to publicly question the logic behind Donald Trump’s controversial proposal to impose a 100% tariff on American films produced outside the United States.

Speaking at a press conference for his upcoming film, which was shot in Germany and is scheduled for a U.S. release on May 30, Wes Anderson mocked the former president’s tariff plan, saying,

“I’ve never heard of a 100 percent tariff before. I’m not an expert in that area of economics, but I feel that means he’s saying he’s going to take all the money. And then what do we get?”

Wes Anderson went on to point out a fundamental flaw in Trump’s plan. “Can you hold up the movie in customs? It doesn’t ship that way,” Wews Anderson said, highlighting how digital distribution makes such a tariff largely symbolic, if not completely unenforceable.

 

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As announced earlier this month, Trump’s proposal calls on the Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative to begin implementing the 100% tariff on so-called “runaway productions”—films produced outside of U.S. borders. He framed the move as a matter of national security and claimed it would revive the domestic film industry, which he says is “dying a very fast death.”

However, the U.S. domestic box office brought a healthy $8.7 billion in 2024. The year saw a resurgence in moviegoing after delays from the 2023 Hollywood strikes. So far, 2025 has also been strong, with hits including Sinners, Thunderbolts, Captain America: Brave New World, A Minecraft Movie, and Final Destination: Bloodlines.

Wes Anderson, known for his meticulously crafted visual style and ensemble casts, used the opportunity at Cannes to turn Trump’s bluster into unexpected publicity. “I thought you said he was giving us a plug or something,” he told reporters. “Did Trump see it?”

The Phoenician Scheme is Anderson’s first release since 2023’s Asteroid City. It features an all-star cast including Benicio del Toro, Michael Cera, Mia Threapleton, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Jeffrey Wright, Riz Ahmed, Scarlett Johansson, and others. It is scheduled for a wide release in the U.S. on June 6.

 

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Despite Trump’s rhetoric, industry insiders have pointed out that many American productions film abroad for legitimate creative and financial reasons—from tax incentives and unique locations to logistical feasibility. Wes Anderson has frequently filmed outside the U.S.; his latest production follows that pattern.

Whether Trump’s tariff proposal has any legs remains to be seen, but for now, it’s providing filmmakers like Anderson with unexpected talking points—and possibly even free promotion. As the auteur wryly noted, “It’s complicated to me.”

For Wes Anderson and much of Hollywood, Trump’s proposed tariff isn’t just economically dubious—it’s creatively out of touch.