The Ultimate Wes Anderson Gift Guide

While actors of Hollywood are generally the big draw for any film buff in Hollywood, there are a few directors who manage to develop their own fanbases who follow them religiously throughout their careers. These fans know every movie, every line, every background tidbit or continuity error and will fight other fans to the death on these points.

Wes Anderson is one of those directors who inspires a huge cult following, though his fans are less likely to fight amongst each other as they are to celebrate their love of his films together. With Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch already in production, it’s the perfect time to once again share our love for Wes Anderson with some great gifts for any die-hard fan of the artistic director.

10 BOTTLE ROCKET

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It’s best to start at the beginning of course, with Wes Anderson’s very first feature film, Bottle Rocket. Released in 1996, the film was based on a short film by Anderson that starred Owen and Luke Wilson and Rupert Musgrave. Bottle Rocket also serves as the Wilson brothers feature film and would begin a long series of collaborations between the trio.

Criterion Collection’s Director-Approved Blu-Ray enhancement of Bottle Rocket is the way to go for any completist looking to fill out their set. Not only does the release feature beautiful box art, but the special features include deleted scenes, the original short film, and even a behind-the-scenes documentary.

9 THE CINEMA OF WES ANDERSON: BRINGING NOSTALGIA TO LIFE

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Wes Anderson’s films are so uniquely artistic that fans can recognize his films almost instantly, which is a testament to his eccentric vision when it comes to filmmaking. Anderson is also unique in that every one of his films come from his original screenplays, and his love of Truffaut and the French New Wave film movement that left their mark on the auteur director.

Author Whitney Crothers Dilly examines the various influences and inspirations behind the work of Wes Anderson in The Cinema of Wes Anderson: Bringing Nostalgia to Life. The book takes a look at Wes Anderson’s continuing status as an “indie” director despite his commercial success and is perfect for the fan who wants to know more about their favorite filmmaker.

8 RUSHMORE MINIMALIST POSTER

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Interestingly enough, many fans consider 1998’s Rushmore to be Anderson’s first film, largely due to the commercial failure of Bottle Rocket. Rushmore was the film debut for frequent collaborator Jason Schwartzman and marked the first pairing between Bill Murray and Anderson, which would continue through almost every one of Anderson’s films over the years.

Fans can celebrate the film with this unique minimalist poster print that features Schwartzman’s character Max in his iconic pose from the film’s poster. The poster print is available from CultClassicPosters and is completely original, so will make the perfect piece of art for the Wes Anderson fan in your life.

7 THE WES ANDERSON COLLECTION

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The ultimate Wes Anderson film companion comes from the New York Times extensive film overview from Matt Zoller Seitz and comes complete with a foreword by American novelist Michael Chabon. The Wes Anderson Collection features an in-depth look at each film as explored by Wes Anderson himself, complete with original illustrations and behind-the-scenes photos.

The Wes Anderson Collection covers most of Anderson’s films, from Bottle Rocket to Moonrise Kingdom. There are also two other editions that cover further films and explorations into Wes Anderson’s career; The Wes Anderson Collection: Bad Dads, and The Wes Anderson Collection: The Grand Budapest Hotel.

6 RICHIE TENENBAUM T-SHIRT

2001’s The Royal Tenenbaums is arguably one of Wes Anderson’s most popular films, largely due to the incredible cast assembled for the film. Not only does the feature include his returning collaborator Owen Wilson (who also co-wrote the screenplay) and his brother Luke Wilson, but Bill Murray returned following his re-breakout indie role in Rushmore.

The film expanded its star power greatly by including Gene Hackman, Angelica Houston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, and Danny Glover, which further upped the appeal fo the film to casual moviegoers. Luke Wilson’s Richie Tenenbaum is the focus of this amazing T-shirt that celebrates some of these great characters in the film with art by Jared Swart.

5 THE DARJEELING LIMITED TEA MUG

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Many fans consider The Darjeeling Limited to be where Wes Anderson really found his groove as a filmmaker, with the emotionally moving yet comedic tale hitting as a perfect love letter to India while dealing with the relationships between an estranged family. The film is terribly underrepresented when compared to Anderson’s other works, but shines as a showcase to his pure potential.

There really doesn’t seem like a better way to celebrate the film than with this unique The Darjeeling Limited tea mug that comes with a minimalist graphic that features the three brothers of the film, played by Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson, and Jason Schwartzman. Pair it with some Darjeeling tea and your Wes Anderson fan will be over the moon.

4 THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL: THE ILLUSTRATED SCREENPLAY

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Wes Anderson’ many inspirations can be seen throughout his film career, and 2014’s The Grand Budapest Hotel takes this a step further, with the film drawing inspirations from the writings of Austrian author Stefan Zweig. The film is also notable for its huge cast that includes many returning stars like Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson, and many more.

Fans of the film will be overjoyed to receive The Grand Budapest Hotel: The Illustrated Screenplay from The Opus Screenplay Collection. Fans can experience another way to enjoy this favorite film and get a bit deeper with the characters while marveling at the visual writing style of Anderson, who truly creates his films from every angle possible.

3 MOONRISE KINGDOM PATCH SET

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2012’s Moonrise Kingdom explored the coming-of-age tale on the removed island of New Penzance, which featured a number of quirky adults and two youth in love who run away to a secluded cove they name the Moonrise Kingdom. The film’s colorful aesthetic and romantic fantasies told through the eyes of children were a refreshing take on the classic coming-of-age story.

The film’s various characters and locations all revolve around the New Penzance chapter of the Khaki Scouts, and as such featured a number of Scout Badges worn by the scouts and main character Sam Shakusky. Wes Anderson fans can order their own set of iron or sew-on Khaki Scout patches to wear their fandom with pride.

2 THE LIFE AQUATIC STEVE & NED VYNLS

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While Bill Murray featured in almost all of Wes Anderson’s films (including a fantastic recurring cameo in The Darjeeling Limited) it wasn’t until The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou that Murray took the lead alongside one of the best casts in Anderson’s filmography, which is saying a lot. Murray was joined by Angelica Huston, Owen Wilson, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, and more.

While both emotionally uplifting and draining, the film revolves around the developing relationship between famed oceanographer Steve Zissou and his illegitimate child Ned. Funko released a VYNL two-pack that features The Life Aquatic’s “Dynamic Duo” Steve and Ned, perfect for any fan’s collection.

1 THE MAKING OF FANTASTIC MR. FOX

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Wes Anderson departed from his usual brand of filmmaking in 2009, when he adapted Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox using stop-motion animation. Regardless of the source material and the animation style, Fantastic Mr. Fox is still inherently an Anderson film, and was even nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

Fans of the film can now dive deeper into the foxhole with The Making of Fantastic Mr. Fox. The hardcover book features cast and crew interviews, storyboards, behind-the-scenes and production pics which showcase the laborious task of bringing Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox to life, and how Wes Anderson managed to still put his own artistic spin on the classic story.

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About The Author

Scoot Allan
(193 Articles Published)

Entertainment reporter, writer, and all-around geek, Scoot Allan has written for print and online media sources like Geek Magazine, GeekExchange, GrizzlyBomb, WhatCulture, RoguePlanet.tv and the Urban 30 before joining CBR, ScreenRant, GameRant and The Gamer as a staff writer. He enjoys salad but prefers french fries.

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