Sofia Coppola has forged a decorated cinematic career with her own prowess, not using the name of the legendary filmmaker and her father Francis Ford Coppola. Among several celebrated movies of the director, Lost in Translation is one of the most highly recognized movies from the resume of the director.
Starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson in the lead, the 2003 romantic comedy-drama explores friendship and the human emotion attached to it. Many critics agreed to the fact that the movie is poignant but for Coppola, it was her recutting dream about Bill Murray.
Sofia Coppola Explained Casting Bill Murray in Lost in Translation
Set in Tokyo, Lost in Translation explores a man Bob Harris revolving around his midlife crisis, he meets a young American woman, Charlotte in the city, and the story of his life has a sudden turn. Bill Murray’s Bob and Scarlett Johansson’s Charlotte had beautiful chemistry in the romantic comedy. Speaking with The Guardian, Sofia Coppola revealed her recurring daydream about Murray.
“I wanted to capture what it felt like to go to Tokyo and all the things on my mind in my late 20s, the things I was trying to figure out. I also had a recurring daydream about meeting Bill Murray at the Park Hyatt.”
We all know that her dream was fulfilled and Murray. Made with a limited $4 million budget, the movie exceeded expectations with four Oscar nominations, winning one in Best Original Screenplay. Also, the global box office earned the movie a whopping $118.7 million.
Sofia Coppola Had To Track Down Bill Murray
While building the world of Lost in Translation, musician Brian Reitzell made her a few mixtapes called Tokyo Dream Pop that “helped create the world of the movie,” Coppola told The Guardian.
“I had listened to Loveless by My Bloody Valentine a lot when I was at CalArts studying fine art and trying to be a painter. That set the tone for the rest.’
But the biggest task was still on her hands.
“After writing the movie, I started trying to track Bill down and convince him to come to Japan to make it. I knew it had to be him who played Bob. He showed up, along with a young Scarlett Johansson, who I had seen as a child actor, as Charlotte. Along with our cinematographer, Lance Acord, and the rest of the team, we ran around Tokyo at night shooting our film. Charlie sang in the karaoke scene and Bob and Charlotte hung out at Nobu’s place. We were in a jet-lagged blur, finding our way as we went. I worried that the story was indulgent, but felt like I had to make it, and get it out of my head.”
Interestingly, Coppola had to have faith in Murray as the actor reportedly never signed a contract and she had to take Murrey’s words as a bond. She was scared and thought that he might not show up in Tokyo. So, she consulted Wes Anderson who as previously worked with him. Anderson assured Coppola and the rest is the birth of a cinematic masterpiece.
