Edward Norton says filming 'Moonrise Kingdom' was like going to summer camp.

The actor admits it was a ''dream'' to work in an ensemble cast - which includes Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton and Jason Schwarzman - on the film and found director Wes Anderson a lot of fun to be on set with.

He said: ''It's a dream to be in a company of actors. I think all us started out reading about Orson Wells and his Mercury Theatre, the group theatre. Any of those great ensembles that worked together, there's a romance to that when you're an actor, I used to dream a lot about how fun it would be to be in a troupe like that.

''I think Wes has obviously over the years put together one of the great troupe in modern cinema. And all actors want to be in it, I think every actor sees Wes Anderson's new film come out and goes, 'Oh God, that would have been so fun!'

''Then it turns out it is, which is surprising because you never know how making a movie is ever going to be. It turns out working with Wes is kind of like summer camp. It was completely delightful, just a completely delightful experience.''

Despite the big name cast in the film - which follows the search for two runaway 12 year olds - the director insisted the cast do their own hair and make-up and Edward admits the back-to-basics approach was all part of the fun.

He added in an interview with Flicks and Bits: '' It's fun to have a lot of the trappings that start to surround movies taken away. Wes had us all doing our own hair and makeup, costumes, coming to set in vans together. There was no trailers.

''It was kind of everything you love about it when you're a kid and you have your own video camera in your backyard. Just a great spirit and great fun to be included in Wes' still growing company.''