Film about Calouste Gulbenkian
Benicio del Toro’s character in Wes Anderson’s THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME is inspired by Calouste Gulbenkian and has Armenian roots.
THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME centers on Anatole Korda (Zsa-Zsa Korda), a wealthy businessman who becomes the target of scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists, and determined assassins.
Zsa-Zsa Korda’s birth certificate is shown on screen, and is revealed to be an Armenian birth certificate. The character’s father’s name is revealed to be Sarkis, a nod to Calouste Gulbenkian’s own father, whose name was also Sarkis. The father’s birthplace is also listed as Yerevan.
Zsa-Zsa Korda is modeled after Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian (1869–1955), an Armenian businessman, art collector, and philanthropist, who was considered the richest man in the world at the time of his death. Calouste Gulbenkian played a pivotal role in bringing Middle Eastern oil to Western markets, earning the nickname ‘Mr. Five Per Cent’ for his policy of retaining a 5% stake in the oil companies he helped develop.
In an interview, when asked whether Gianni Agnelli, Charles Foster Kane, Aristotle Onassis, and even Elon Musk were inspirations for the character, Wes Anderson responded: “There is another character that I find more interesting and that is definitive: Calouste Gulbenkian. He is remembered as a philanthropist, but before anything, he was a great capitalist. Today’s Middle East is, in part, the result of those negotiations and the interaction between capitalism, diplomacy, and governments. He orchestrated much of the map we see today. I’m not an expert, but the book Mr. Five Percent by Jonathan Conlin, about Gulbenkian, illustrates how one person’s ambition can influence not only their time but also the future. In fact, I borrowed the nickname Mr. Five Percent for my character.”
Benedict Cumberbatch portrays Uncle Nubar, Zsa-Zsa Korda’s half-brother, who is inspired by Calouste Gulbenkian’s real-life son, Nubar Gulbenkian, complete with his distinct, identifiable eyebrows and beard.
THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. The film was released in New York and Los Angeles on May 30 and will be released everywhere on June 6.
