Wes Anderson: Isle of Dogs exhibition, The Store

Wes Anderson superfans rejoice! A new exhibition about his upcoming stop-motion film Isle of Dogs is coming to London ahead of its UK release on 30 March.

Opening on Friday 23 March at The Store, 180 The Strand, the free exhibition will showcase original handmade puppets and sets from the film. Isle of Dogs is Anderson’s second stop-motion animated film, following his hit 2009 Roald Dahl adaptation Fantastic Mr. Fox. The film is set in a dystopian near-future Japan, where the canine population of Megasaki have been quarantined on ‘Trash Island’ after an outbreak of dog flu. It follows the adventures of one young boy, Atari Kobayashi, and a rag-tag band of misfit mutts, as they search for Atari’s lost dog, Spots.

A large proportion of Isle of Dogs was made in East London at 3 Mills Studios, and for fans of Anderson’s colourful capers and meticulous curated worlds, this promises to be a special opportunity to learn more about his film-making process.

In addition to the sets and puppets there will be a life-size recreation of the noodle bar frequented by one of the film’s canine heroes (Bill Murray’s character, Boss) serving ramen created by the executive chef of Engawa Soho, Akira Shimuzi. There will even be special sake cocktails available on Thursday and Friday evenings. And for the true Wes Anderson obsessives, there will be limited edition Isle of Dogs T-shirts for sale.

The exhibition is in London for two weeks only, so make sure to catch it before it’s gone. It's open daily 10am - 7pm (Thursday and Friday until 10pm).