Paul Thomas Anderson adds Josh Brolin to 'Inherent Vice'

One thing Paul Thomas Anderson has never once had a problem with was gathering all-star level casts. His first feature, the excellent (and mostly ignored, sadly) gambling drama Hard Eight had John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow, Samuel L. Jackson, and many more back when the director was a virtual unknown. The trend continued into Boogie Nights, the huge Magnolia ensemble and beyond, and now it looks like Inherent Vice is going to boast another powerhouse line-up.

The latest to join the adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's 1970s LA-based crime flick is Josh Brolin, although his "key role" is being kept a secret for now. Joaquin Phoenix takes the lead role of drug-addled detective Doc Sportello, who investigates the case of a kidnapped ex-girlfriend. Owen Wilson, Reese Witherspoon, Benicio Del Toro, Jena Malone, Martin Short, Kevin O'Connor are already set, with Sean Penn possibly coming aboard.

Brolin recently starred in Gangster Squad, and has three films hitting theaters by the end of the year. He'll star in Spike Lee's Oldboy remake. Before that he'll appear in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, and later will be seen in Jason Reitman's Labor Day opposite Kate Winslet. [Deadline]