Nutmeg - Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson lends her voice to Nutmeg, a fashionable former show dog that now lives on the Isle of Dogs. The film is Johansson’s first time working with Wes Anderson, a director who usually favors using a regular cast of actors. However, Johansson’s star power is undeniable, with recent film credits including Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well as Major in The Ghost in the Shell and the eponymous Lucy in Lucy.

Chief - Bill Murray

Bill Murray voices Chief, who was the team mascot for the Megasaki Dragons, a Little League Baseball team, before being sent to the Isle of Dogs. Chief is one of the five alpha dogs who helps Atari Kobiyashi look for his dog Spot. Murray is Anderson’s most frequent collaborator, having appeared in every Anderson film since Rushmore in 1998, including the titular role of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.

Rex - Edward Norton

Edward Norton, another frequent Anderson collaborator, returns for Isle of Dogs after appearing in both Moonrise Kingdom and The Grand Budapest Hotel. Norton will voice Rex, the leader of the alpha dogs. Rex is a house dog who is anxious to leave Trash Island and return to his master.

Chief - Bryan Cranston

Bryan Cranston plays Chief, a former stray who lives with the group of alpha dogs. Gruff and tough, Chief reluctantly agrees to help Atari Kobayashi find his dog, Spot. Cranston has not previously worked with Anderson; however, playing Walter White in Breaking Bad has made Cranston a household name.

Duke - Jeff Goldblum

Jeff Goldblum plays Duke, a chatty alpha dog who loves hearing and spreading gossip. Goldblum has previously appeared in Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and The Grand Budapest Hotel. Goldblum, who is perhaps best known for Jurassic Park, will return among the dinosaurs in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. He has also appeared in Thor: Ragnarok and Independence Day.

King - Bob Balaban

Character actor Bob Balaban plays King, a former representative for Doggy Chop dog food and the final alpha dog of the pack. Balaban is a frequent collaborator with Anderson, having appeared in The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, Moonrise Kingdom, and The Grand Budapest Hotel. Balaban has had a prolific career in film and television, including Monuments Men and Gosfield Park.

Spots - Liev Schreiber

Liev Schreiber voices Spots, Atari Kobayashi’s best friend and the former bodyguard dog for the mayor of Megasaki. Atari Kobayashi comes to the Isle of Dogs to find Spots, and the group of alpha dogs agree to help him on his journey to be reunited with his furry friend.

Liev Schreiber is a newcomer to Wes Anderson’s films, but has appeared in a number of films and television, including as the title role in Ray Donovan, Spotlight, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Jupiter - F. Murray Abraham

F. Murray Abraham plays Jupiter, a wise dog who loves Turpentine Brandy and lives an almost zen existence. Abraham, who previously appeared in The Grand Budapest Hotel, won the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in Amadeus. While Jupiter has a black coat of fur, he wears a barrel of brandy around his neck like a St. Bernard.

Oracle - Tilda Swinton

Like Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton has previously collaborated with Wes Anderson on both Moonrise Kingdom and The Grand Budapest Hotel. Swinton voices a pug named Oracle, the only small dog with a major role in the film. Oracle is a mystic who lives with Abraham’s sagely Jupiter; both dogs appear to have names that come from Greek mythology, with Oracle’s name referencing the famed Oracle of Delphi.

Gondo - Harvey Keitel

Harvey Keitel plays the mysterious Gondo, the leader of another pack of dogs on Trash Island. Keitel previously collaborated with Anderson in The Grand Budapest Hotel, and you’ll of course recognize the prolific actor from Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, and Taxi Driver.

Atari Kobayashi - Koyu Rankin

Newcomer Koyu Rankin voices Atari Kobayashi, the child ward of Mayor Kobayashi and the best friend of Spots. Kobayashi pilots himself to the Isle of Dog and joins forces with the pack of supposed alpha dogs to find Spots. Rankin is a bilingual actor who has previously appeared in the short Juken.

Read More: Isle of Dogs Reviews: Wes Anderson’s Latest is Charming & Weird

Mayor Kobayashi - Kunichi Nomura & Major Domo - Akira Takayama

Kunichi Nomura voices Mayor Kobayashi, the mayor of Megasaki and the guardian of Atari Kobayashi. Mayor Kobayashi is responsible for banishing all of the dogs to Trash Island. Nomura has worked with Wes Anderson previously on The Grand Budapest Hotel as an actor, and is also the co-writer and casting director of Isle of Dogs. He has also acted alongside Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson in Lost in Translation.

Akira Takayama is a Japanese actor who has appeared in film and television. He has previously appeared on stage in New York in Zoya’s Apartment, Sansho the Bailiff, and Wind-up Bird Chronicle. Takayama plays Major Domo, the henchman of the corrupt Mayor Kobayashi.

Tracy Walker - Greta Gerwig

Greta Gerwig plays Tracy Walker, an American foreign exchange student who is the editor of the Megasaki Senior High newspaper The Daily Manifesto. Walker develops a crush on Atari Kobayashi as she begins to research his heroic attempt to rescue Spots. Gerwig is known both as an actress - mainly her collaborations with Noah Baumbach - and now a director; her directorial debut, Lady Bird, landed her a nomination for Best Director at this year’s Oscars.

Interpreter Nelson - Frances McDormand

Frances McDormand plays Interpreter Nelson, the translator for the Megasaki’s Municipal Dome. Nelson translates all of the Mayor’s pronouncements and struggles to stay emotionally detached from the Isle of Dogs. McDormand has previously worked with Anderson on Moonrise Kingdom. She recently won the Oscar for Best Actress for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Professor Watanabe - Akira Ito

Akira Ito plays Professor Watanabe, a mayor candidate for the Science-Party who is trying to find a cure for the Dog Flu. Ito is a Japanese actor who has performed in New York and Kyoto. He appeared in the play Wind-up Bird Chronicle with costar Akira Takayama.

Assistant-Scientist Yoko-Ono - Yoko Ono

Music legend Yoko Ono gives her voice to Assistant-Scientist Yoko-Ono, Professor Watanabe’s assistant. Yoko Ono’s celebrity and Wes Anderson’s special brand of humor led to the character bearing the voice actress’s name.

Courtney B. Vance

Courtney B. Vance voices the story’s narrator. Vance has won a Tony Award for his performance as Hap Hairston in Lucky Guy and an Emmy for his performance as Johnnie Cochran in The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story. He has also appeared in films including The Hunt for Red October and The Mummy.

Next: HONEST TRAILERS TAKES ON WES ANDERSON’S FILMS

  • Isle of Dogs Release Date: 2018-03-23