'It was a disaster': Wes Anderson learned lessons from Bottle Rocket failure
Wes Anderson learned important lessons after his directorial debut 'Bottle Rocket' failed to impress audiences.
Wes Anderson was forever "changed" by the failure of his directorial debut 'Bottle Rocket'.
The 54-year-old filmmaker's 1996 picture did not prove to be a commercial success – although it has since gained a cult following – and he explained that the experience taught him some valuable lessons.
Speaking at the Lumiere Film Festival in France, Wes said: "I had an idea of what I wanted to do, and no one could convince me that we shouldn't do it, my confidence was the highest, then.
"When we finally made it and showed it to an audience, they hated it. I was so shocked, it was a disaster."
The acclaimed filmmaker – whose credits include 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' and 'Asteroid City' – continued: "But that changed me: Had I known that before, I probably wouldn't have made that movie, and I'm glad of that, because the blind confidence you have when you're young, you need it!"
Anderson's unique style can be seen in all of his movies but explained that it is never at the forefront of his mind when he begins work on a new project.
He said: "I think about what's new for this movie, how do I make this movie the best it can be, how do I get the greatest collaborators together. And yet every time I make a movie, the first thing people say is: 'You can sure tell who made this one!'
"I feel my movies connect to each other in ways that I don't make an effort for them to, and I accept that about myself. But for me, each movie is a completely new adventure."
Wes also revealed that he likes the cast of his films to live together during production to add more "emotion" to the creative experience.
He said: "It makes the whole experience much more emotional, and I think the actors like to be around other actors, and give themselves over to a project fully when there is a chance."
