TRIVIA: Tilda Swinton underwent
hours in the makeup chair to play the 84-year-old dowager Madame D. "We're
not usually working with a vast, Bruckheimer-type budget on my films, so often
we're trying a work-around," said Wes Anderson. "But
for the old-age makeup I just said, 'Let's get the most expensive people we
can.'"
Saoirse Ronan's character
is responsible for making the hotel's signature confection, the Courtisane au
Chocolat. "Making them wasn't easy," says Ronan. "Forget the
action scenes in Hanna
(2011) - these little pastries were the hardest thing I've had to do in a
movie."
Angela Lansbury was
originally cast in the movie but had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts
with the stage production of Driving Miss Daisy and was replaced by Tilda Swinton.
The cast have nineteen Oscar nominations
combined, there are only 4 wins, Tilda Swinton for Michael Clayton, F. Murray
Abraham for Amadeus, Adrien Brody for The Pianist, and Fisher Stevens for The
Cove.
The name of the fictional Republic
of Zubrowka comes from the Polish vodka brand Zubrowka - which is vodka
seasoned with Bison grass.
Johnny Depp was Wes Anderson's
initial choice for the role of M. Gustave.
