Paul Thomas Anderson’s next has Philip Seymour Hoffman attached

Paul Thomas Anderson is without a doubt my favorite filmmaker working today. Sure, there are plenty of great filmmakers/directors creating equally wonderful films, but what I enjoy about Paul Thomas Anderson beyond what he puts on the screen is his ability to articulate his passion and drive behind them in interviews. A keen filmmaker can learn a lot from listening to PTA speak about almost any topic– his approach is raw, honest and reliable.

So I was excited to discover that Anderson is close to finishing his latest screenplay which already has Academy Award winner Philip Seymour Hoffman attached. Hoffman will play ‘The Master’ as in “master of ceremonies,” a charismatic intellectual who hatches a faith-based organization that begins to catch on in America in 1952.

The core is the relationship between The Master and Freddie, a twenty-something drifter who becomes the leader’s lieutenant. As the faith begins to gain a fervent following, Freddie finds himself questioning the belief system he has embraced, and his mentor.

Perhaps it’s not too much of a stretch to suggest this project could be winking at a certain religion founded by L. Ron Hubbard?– after all, Tom Cruise did star in Magnolia, a critically acclaimed film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson in 1999. Who knows what Paul might have observed (and could use for inspiration). Equally interesting is how Paul approached the religious aspects of his brilliant 2007 film There Will Be Blood, illustrating the parallels of ‘faith’ in the chore of the film by testing the strength of each characters personal belief to its very boundaries.

Philip Seymour Hoffman is a regular in Paul Thomas Anderson projects, appearing in supporting roles on Hard Eight (aka Sydney), Boogie Nights, Punch-Drunk Love and Magnolia.

The project isn’t green lit to go yet. The screenplay needs to be sighted by Universal before the required $35 million budget has approval. Also comforting to know that Anderson’s frequent collaborator JoAnne Sellar is producing.

source: Variety