New Paul Thomas Anderson Film Underway
Philip Seymour Hoffman stars in The Master, which has finally been picked up by a studio and will shoot next month.
It's staggering to think that in an age where a Johnny English sequel can get studio funding, the next film from the director of There Will Be Blood struggles to get greenlit.
Paul Thomas Anderson was responsible for not only the best film of the last decade, but an enduring masterpiece that can sit comfortably as one of the greatest in cinematic history (in my humble opinion). His 2007 epic with Daniel Day Lewis in exceptional Oscar-winning mode, and a more than worthy fellow lead in Paul Dano, was a sprawling, evocative epic that seared the mind, and put PTA among the greats, such as John Ford.
After all that, the man couldn't get himself the backing of a studio for The Master. Incredible. Wonder if it had anything to do with the fact that his story is a thinly-disguised account of Scientology's origins...
His Magnolia star hilip Seymour Hoffman signed up for the title role some time ago: a man who creates a new faith, an organisation which blossoms into an empire. Hurt Locker star Jeremy Renner had expressed interest in the part of the master's lieutenant, who starts to have doubts, but may have scheduling conflicts with his rumoured part as Hawkeye in The Avengers.
Universal declined to part with the paltry $35 million needed to make the film, and things were not looking good. However, Anderson fansite Cigarettes and Red Vines got an exclusive chat with PTA, who confirmed that The Master is to start filming next month. Hurrah! Hopefully there'll be official news on the studio and casting coming soon.
Subscribe to the SG News Feed
