Writer Director Wes Anderson's latest film is Asteroid City.

It's about a tiny town in the middle of the American Desert where several young scientific prodigies

gather to receive a distinguished award.

Also, there's an alien.

If you know Anderson's work, the themes are familiar, teenage awkwardness, grief, wistful alienation,

strained familial bonds.

The ensemble includes many Anderson go-tus, like Jason Schwartzman, Jeffrey Wright, and

Tilda Swinton.

But there is some new blood in the mix, Tom Hank, Steve Corel and Maya Hawk.

And of course, there's those characteristic Wes Anderson formalist visuals,

so recognizable, so stylishly symmetrical, so mimmable. I'm Glenn Weldon, and today we're talking about Asteroids. is

a palisheeles so memeable. I'm Glenn Weldon and today we're talking about asteroid city on pop culture

happy hour from NPR.

Joining me today is one of the hosts of the indicator from Planet Money Whelan

Wong. Welcome back Whelan Wong. Welcome back, Waylan.

Thanks, great to be back.

Great to have you also with us as writer Chris Klimic, hey Chris.

I saved Latin, Glen.

What did you ever do?

There you go.

Asteroid City is set, sort of, in the tiny desert town of Asteroid City, population 87 in 1955.

I say sort of because what we're watching is actually a television broadcast hosted by a narrator played by Brian Cranston of the

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