Potsdam-Babelsberg, Germany — Studio Babelsberg honors director Wes Anderson with a building on the studio lot: The historic Haus 5 will now bear the name Wes Anderson Building (and Trickatelier). The building houses offices and functional spaces for costume and production design, as well as the so-called Trickatelier, which has played an important role in the history of visual effects and animation in Germany.
Wes Anderson filmed much of his latest feature film THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME last year at Studio Babelsberg and had his office in Haus 5. The production also utilized the building for its costume department. The dedication sign was officially unveiled in the presence of Wes Anderson and the management team of Studio Babelsberg, Joerg Bachmaier (CEO), Marcus Loges (Managing Director / Production Services), Michael Düwel (Managing Director Art Department Studio Babelsberg) and Eike Wolf (Director Studio Operations).
Joerg Bachmaier, CEO of Studio Babelsberg, commented: “Studio Babelsberg shares an exceptional partnership with Wes Anderson – THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME marks our fifth collaboration with this extraordinary director. Naming this building in his honor is not only a gesture of gratitude for his trust and creative spirit but also a testament to his lasting influence on filmmaking. Wes Anderson is a visionary auteur, and we are privileged to be part of his artistic journey.”
Studio Babelsberg has been Wes Anderson’s production partner since 2013, co-producing five of his films: THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (2014), which won four Oscars, including Best Production Design, ISLE OF DOGS (2018), THE FRENCH DISPATCH (2021), ASTEROID CITY (2023) and most recently THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME, which will be released in German cinemas on May 29, 2025, by Universal Pictures International Germany. The set and decoration construction of the Art Department Studio Babelsberg contributed to the production design of all these productions with unique sets.
The building known as Haus 5 served as a studio and production facility for filming, sound recording, and special effects in the 1920s and 1930s. In particular, the Trickatelier was a creative hub for pioneers of film effects, such as Eugen Schüfftan, whose world-famous Schüfftan process made film history and had a lasting impact on German cinema. Babelsberg was home to groundbreaking achievements in film and effects that influenced cinema worldwide. Notable productions include Fritz Lang’s METROPOLIS, THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI, DIE NIBELUNGEN, THE LAST LAUGH, and NOSFERATU, with its shadow play considered an early milestone in visual effects. This Ufa tradition of special and visual effects was carried forward by DEFA from the 1950s onward.