Paul Thomas Anderson to shoot 'Inherent Vice' this month

Fans of Paul Thomas Anderson (and there are many!) have grown accustomed to waiting four or five years between films, looking on a new one as a major event. While The Master was gearing up for release last fall, Anderson was constantly being peppered with questions about his long-developing adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's Inherent Vice. With Joaquin Phoenix coming aboard back in January, and a rumored start date of this month, it turns out everything has now fallen exactly into place.

Filming has been confirmed to begin later this month, which means additional casting is ramping up fast. Expect some major announcements to be revealed right around Cannes, where the film will be shopped to investors. Warner Bros. will be backing the film, rather than Megan Ellison's Annapurna Pictures like many had assumed. Anderson will be reteaming with cinematographer Robert Elswit, who has shot all of his films other than The Master, which was far and away the director's most experimental effort.

The story follows pothead private detective "Doc" Sportallo, who gets mixed up in a crazy kidnapping plot to kill a wealthy land magnate in drug-fueled 1960s Los Angeles. Charlize Theron had been rumored for a role, so if she's actually on board expect that to be revealed in the coming days.[Cigarettes & Red Vines]