Wes Anderson makes alien contact in the first trailer for Asteroid City

The first official trailer for Wes Anderson’s eleventh film, Asteroid City, has finally arrived in all of its pastel-hued glory, and there's something strange in the air.

Taking place in a fictional desert town in the 1950s, the follow-up to The French Dispatch revolves around an annual convention for junior stargazers and space cadets, which sees students and their parents – as well as astronomers and the military – descend on the site of an asteroid impact from thousands of years before. This time, though, the stars align to bring about unexpected and “world-changing” events.

The opening scene from the new trailer – a shot of Anderson fave Jason Schwartzman phoning newcomer Tom Hanks to tell him that the family car has exploded – pretty much sums up the cast. The mix of familiar faces and newcomers to Anderson’s perfectly symmetrical universe unites the above actors with Margot Robbie, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Jeffrey Wright, Ed Norton, Adrien Brody, Liev Schreiber, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Hong Chau, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, and more.

Judging by the preview, we can also expect some supernatural visitors in the form of aliens that descend in a glowing, green flying saucer. Amid a town-wide lockdown, the characters will have to contend with the UFO, as well as tragic family deaths, and the “meaning of life” (no biggie).

Written by Anderson and previous collaborator Roman Coppola, the film is scheduled for a limited cinema release on June 16, with a wider release on June 23. The world premiere is generally expected to take place at this year’s Cannes Film Festival in May.

Watch Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City trailer below.