Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master shoots in June; Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix confirmed

And all is right in the world again. That's how I feel when I know there's a Paul Thomas Anderson film on the way. My palms get sweaty and every other movie instantly drops down about a million notches in my book. For awhile it started to look like his religion based film, working under the title of The Master, wouldn't get done. Financing was the major issue with Universal stepping back, but in the last few weeks not only has that problem but solved but The Weinsteins have stepped up to distribute it. Anderson had begun eying an adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's detective novel, Inherent Vice, so there was no clue which film he'd take on first. Now according to Deadline we know the answer, with The Master set to shoot next month with Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix set to star.

Excuse me while I pop some champagne. Mmm..bubbly.  The film started out as an overt reference(slap in the face?) to the beginnings of Scientology, which rubbed some folks the wrong way and might have been a factor in Universal's backing out. Over the last year Anderson has done some jiggering on the script, and now this is how Deadline describes it....

"Hoffman stars as a man who returns after witnessing the horrors of WWII and tries to rediscover who he is in post-war America. He creates a belief system, something that catches on with other lost souls."

I don't know if that's the trade being deliberately vague, but to me that sounds like the Scientology angle got sliced up a little bit.  How much of that story remains is something we'll have to wait to find out. Since I view Scientology as a massive joke akin to starting a religion based on footwear, I sorta dug that idea.


In the previous draft of the script, Hoffman's character was Lancaster Dodd, the charismatic indivual known as "The Master" who begins the religion. Phoenix would likely be Freddie Sutton, a loyal follower who begins to ask some pretty pointed questions.  Amy Adams, Laura Dern, Lena Endre(The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), and Madisen Beaty(Pregnancy Pact) are said to be up for the major female roles. Reese Witherspoon, Deborah Ann Woll, Emma Stone, and Amanda Seyfried were previously said to be circling the film as well, but who knows if that's still in play.


Can someone do me a favor and just wake me up when June gets here? Thanks. I can't wait for this!