Wes Anderson tapped Cartier to create a rosary for The Phoenician Scheme
If there's anything we can expect from the Wes Anderson Cinematic Universe, it's that everything will be beautiful. Famously dedicated to aesthetics, no detail is too small for the director. For his latest film, The Phoenician Scheme (which premiered yesterday at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival), Anderson tapped Cartier to fashion one of the film's most recurring props: a rosary. Courtesy of TPS Productions/Focus Features © 2025 All Rights Reserved.
Anderson's 12th directorial venture follows a wealthy, embattled businessman, Zsa-zsa Korta (Benicio del Toro), who designates his only daughter, Liesl (Mia Threapleton), as the heir to his estate. Liesl, a nun, is almost always pictured with the rosary wrapped around her hand.
Anderson approached Cartier to create Liesl's bespoke rosary after stumbling upon one of the house's cross pendants from approximately 1880. Artisans from the high jewellery studio recreated the cross on a larger scale, at nearly 5.5 cm, to help enhance visibility onscreen. The ornate white gold cross is inlaid with rose-cut diamonds and a large central ruby cabochon, while the 78.5 cm chain features emerald beads, briolette-, square-, and rose-cut diamonds, along with five ruby cabochons. Matthieu Lavanchy Courtesy of TPS Productions/Focus Features © 2025 All Rights Reserved.
Cartier opted to incorporate rose-cut stones into the necklace as they felt it lent to Anderson's vision and penchant for vintage-inspired aesthetics. Meant to sparkle under candlelight, rose-cut diamonds peaked in popularity during the Victorian Era. So, while perhaps it would be unusual to see a nun carrying such an opulent piece of jewellery in our world, it fits right into the universe that Wes Anderson has created.
This article was originally published on Vogue .com.
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Murray, he reveals, walked onto the set one day blasting English singer-musician Eric Clapton's hit 1991 song Tears In Heaven from a Bluetooth device. 'It was very sad and everyone's attitude on set changed. 'And then Wes, who was very far away, screamed , 'Bill, classical music only!' And Bill went straight from Eric Clapton to Bartok or something. And everybody went back to work,' del Toro recalls, laughing. Benicio del Toro (left) and Mia Threapleton in The Phoenician Scheme. PHOTO: UIP The Phoenician Scheme marks English actress Threapleton's first lead role in a feature film . And even though she is no stranger to celebrities – being the daughter of English actress Kate Winslet, 49 – she was often starstruck on set, especially with American actor Tom Hanks, who plays Korda's business associate. 'I grew up watching all of those people, and the voice of Tom Hanks was my childhood,' says Threapleton, 24, who appeared in the period drama series Dangerous Liaisons (2022) and The Buccaneers (2023 to present). 'I sat down and was, like, 'Oh my god, he's talking to me. And he's telling stories about (the 1998 war film) Saving Private Ryan.' Director Wes Anderson (centre) with The Phoenician Scheme actors (from far left) Jeffrey Wright, Michael Cera, Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton and Rupert Friend at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18. PHOTO: REUTERS But she decided her best strategy was to take a deep breath and collect herself. 'I went, 'I'm just going to sit here and try not to have some sort of panic attack.'' The Phoenician Scheme opens in Singapore cinemas on June 5. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
