Before you rush to theatres next weekend to see Wes Anderson’s fifth feature film, The Darjeeling Limited, be sure to watch the short film that precedes the story.

The 13-minute short entitled Hotel Chevalier stars Jason Schwartzman (one of the Darjeeling leads) and Natalie Portman. It was made a year before filming of Darjeeling even began. Originally intended to stand alone as a short film, Anderson (Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums) realized that Schwartzman’s character was perfect for the feature film he was envisioning.

Portman appears nude in the short, and has a tiny cameo in Darjeeling. Though it is not necessary to see the short to understand her relationship with Schwartzman?s character in the full-length film, Anderson says Chevalier does flesh out the story.

“My ideal thing would be to have the audience member come over to my apartment and watch the short on my computer and the next day they’d watch the movie in the theater,” he told the Wall Street Journal.

Hotel Chevalier premieres tonight at Apple stores in selected American cities, but will be available starting tomorrow as a free download on iTunes.

Related posts:

1. Natalie Portman’s Directorial Debut To Screen in Venice
2. Jason Schwartzman to Star in HBO Comedy
3. Wes Anderson Heads to India for Next Film