One of the most influential directors of the 21st Century, Wes Anderson‘s films are instantly recognizable, thanks to his distinct visual style, incorporating bold, vibrant colors with a love of symmetry. The style became so iconic, it spawned a new TikTok trend, where creators and influencers filmed aspects of their day in the style of Anderson’s movies, fit with quirky music and text boards.
In a recent interview with The Daily Beast, Anderson stated that he was aware of the trend, and shared his skepticism towards watching the endless wave of TikToks inspired by his work:
“I’ve only been exposed to it verbally. I haven’t seen any of it. Obviously, it’s easy for me to go to the right web page and see it. I choose not to really engage. I guess it’s because I don’t want to get distracted by that. It’s a bit like if you’re told, ‘Your friend does a great version of you.’ Maybe you say, I’d really like to see it, and maybe you say, I don’t want to see a version of me, even if it’s good. It can be like, ‘Is that me?’ That’s not necessarily the thing you want. At some point, I’m sure I’ll go in there and see. But I’ve never seen a TikTok, for instance, of anything. I’m not going to start with me.”
Alongside thousands of online creators replicating Anderson’s style, several AI renditions of popular movies, in the style of Wes Anderson have cropped up online, including Star Wars, Harry Potter, and The Lord of the Rings.
While these imitations are humorous, they are also very reductionist, reducing Anderson’s intricate visual storytelling techniques to a quirky color palette and central framing without any meaning.
Anderson’s newest film, Asteroid City, is currently out in theatres.
