You are viewing the archive: “Paul Thomas Anderson”

Cannes: Reese Witherspoon Joining Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘Inherent Vice’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Wednesday May 15, 2013 @ 5:00pm PDTTags: Big Deals Film, Cannes Film Festival, Cannes Wrap-Up, Inherent Vice, Joaquin Phoenix, Paul Thomas Anderson, Reese Witherspoon
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: All actors want to work with Paul Thomas Anderson and it’s no surprise he’s lining up a killer cast for his adaptation of the Thomas Pynchon novel Inherent Vice. I hear Reese Witherspoon is the latest marquee name to join Joaquin Phoenix, Owen Wilson and Benicio Del Toro in the film. Book takes place in Los Angeles at the turn of the 1970s, as drug-fueled detective Larry “Doc” Sportello investigates the disappearance of an ex-girlfriend. Witherspoon re-teams with Phoenix, with whom she had a triumphant pairing in the Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line. Witherspoon won the Oscar for her portrayal of June Carter and Phoenix got an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Johnny Cash. Warner Bros will distribute Inherent Vice. She’s repped by CAA and Management 360.

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Joaquin Phoenix Back With PTA In ‘Inherent Vice’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Thursday January 24, 2013 @ 12:34pm PSTTags: Joaquin Phoenix, Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master
Mike Fleming

BREAKING: Joaquin Phoenix is in talks to reteam with The Master helmer Paul Thomas Anderson on Inherent Vice, an adaptation of the Thomas Pynchon detective novel. Annapurna Pictures’ Megan Ellison is backing the picture, as she … Read More »

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OSCARS Q&A: Paul Thomas Anderson

By PETE HAMMOND | Saturday December 22, 2012 @ 1:00pm PSTTags: Awardsline, Oscars, Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master
Pete Hammond

Paul Thomas Anderson is a genuine auteur, a writer/director who works when he wants, makes what he wants, and is considered now to be one of the film industry’s true talents. His list of films is small but significant: Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, and Magnolia to Punch Drunk Love, There Will Be Blood, and now The Master, just six films in 16 years but all winning wide critical acclaim. He has five Oscar nominations, mostly for screenplay, but he did score his first directing nod for There Will Be Blood. He hopes to continue the trend with The Master, though the film has polarized audiences, something that surprised Anderson but doesn’t necessarily disappoint him. How that translates into awards is anyone’s guess, but don’t say Paul Thomas Anderson is making movies you can easily dismiss.

AwardsLine: There have wildly different reactions to the movie. Is that something that you wanted?
Paul Thomas Anderson: It’s really interesting; it’s not something I expected. The final stretch of finishing a film, you find yourself in a kind of hypnosis that you made something that you understand and therefore everyone else will understand. And it’s an insane assumption, but it happens. And it’s temporary. I’m always surprised by the reactions, but this one in particular seems to have a real interesting messiness about people’s responses. I suppose the worst thing in the world would be pure ambivalence, and to have any attention paid to you is nice. Even if it’s negative. Read More »

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Paul Thomas Anderson On ‘The Master’ And Harvey Weinstein: Video

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Friday October 12, 2012 @ 8:49am PDTTags: CBS This Morning, Harvey Weinstein, Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master

The director tells CBS This Morning that yes, his The Master is loosely based on L Ron Hubbard and Dianetics and “investigating what that movement was”. Paul Thomas Anderson also fielded a question about Harvey Weinstein, who will push the buttons on The Master‘s Oscar campaign as … Read More »

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Venice: Latest Jury Scandal Gives New Meaning To The Lido Shuffle

By NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor | Saturday September 8, 2012 @ 8:02pm PDTTags: Paul Thomas Anderson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Pieta, The Master, Venice Film Festival

Two years ago Quentin Tarantino’s Venice jury gave his ex-girlfriend Sofia Coppola’s Somewhere the top prize Golden Lion. An uproar followed and the film did not figure in that year’s awards season. This year’s Lido scandal turns around … Read More »

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VENICE: P.T. Anderson On ‘The Master’, Scientology, & Screening It For Tom Cruise

By NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor | Saturday September 1, 2012 @ 6:54am PDTTags: Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master, Tom Cruise

Related: Venice: ‘The Master’ And Joaquin Phoenix Draw Raves

Paul Thomas Anderson called The Master a “love story” between its two lead … Read More »

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TOLDJA! Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘Master’ Added To Venice Competition Slate

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Tuesday August 7, 2012 @ 9:37am PDTTags: Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master, Venice Film Festival
Mike Fleming

The competition section of the Venice Film Festival just got a jolt. The festival has confirmed what Deadline reported last week, that added Paul Thomas Anderson’s sure to be controversial film The Master has joined the competition slate. The … Read More »

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Hot Trailer: ‘The Master’

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Friday July 20, 2012 @ 2:50pm PDTTags: Paul Thomas Anderson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master

Here is the new theatrical trailer for Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays the charismatic central figure of the movie, which some have suggested is a thinly veiled take on Scientology but Anderson has said it is definitely not. Amy Adams and Joaquin Phoenix co-star in … Read More »

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Hot Trailer: ‘The Master’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Monday May 21, 2012 @ 1:11pm PDTTags: Joaquin Phoenix, Megan Ellison, Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master, The Weinstein Company
Mike Fleming

The Weinstein Company has provided the first images from The Master, the Paul Thomas Anderson-directed film that stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix and Amy Adams. In this clip there is no Hoffman, who plays a man who creates a belief system and watches it take off in … Read More »

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HAMMOND: Scorsese’s ‘Hugo’ Takes Hollywood; Is It A Best Picture Contender – Or Pretender?

By PETE HAMMOND | Sunday November 6, 2011 @ 5:27pm PSTTags: 84th Annual Academy Awards, Academy Awards, Georges Melies, Graham King, Hugo, James Cameron, Martin Scorsese, Paramount, Paul Thomas Anderson, Sacha Baron Cohen, Slash
Pete Hammond

Another piece of this year’s Oscar movie puzzle was unveiled in a big way this weekend when Paramount rolled out Martin Scorsese’s 99.9%-finished version of Hugo, an ode to the early days of cinema and the eye-popping possibilities of movies. It’s the director’s first family film, 3D film and perhaps most personal film. In an intriguing and highly unusual move, Paramount held a packed screening, with tons of invited press and bloggers included, at Regal’s Downtown LA Live theaters Saturday afternoon. Then that night they also played it at the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre in Beverly Hills for the Academy’s official membership screening. That last move was interesting because most films play either the weekend of opening or after for the Acad (although The Weinstein Co.  unspooled their much-praised  ode to the early days of cinema, The Artist, to an appreciative audience for its official Academy screening Sunday night).

It is extremely rare to show voters something that is still unfinished (one special effects shot was missing and the end credits are far from complete), but Hugo‘s media rollout has been different from the start. It was first unleashed in a much-less-finished form at the New York Film Festival last month as a “work in progress.” Reaction on the web was all over the place, generally favorable, but did not signal a major awards contender outside of the obvious technical nominations for the film’s stunning look. That screening in hindsight may have been a miscalculation.

This week, things began to heat up. Paramount had a couple of “tastemaker” screenings for AMPAS members a few days ago (one in the evening, one during lunchtime) where the median age range was said to be 60-plus — with 50 members reportedly at each. There were also reportedly 80 members who checked in for the Regal screening that was accompanied by a lively post-movie Q&A moderated by director Paul Thomas Anderson with Scorsese and his dream team of much-Oscared collaborators including DP Robert Richardson, production designer Dante Ferretti, editor Thelma Schoonmaker, composer Howard Shore and visual effects supervisor Rob Legato. Scorsese received an enthusiastic standing ovation when he was introduced, just as he did again today after a DGA screening for a Q&A moderated by James Cameron, who told him Hugo was a “masterpiece.” He added, “finally there is a Scorsese film I can take my kids to.” And Cameron also told Scorsese it was the best use of 3D he had seen, including his own films. At Saturday’s Regal Q&A, Legato actually credited the innovations in Avatar for making possible a lot of what Hugo was able to do. Musician Slash was among those also at the DGA screening  and he later tweeted “Fantastic movie!” Read More »

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Ambyr Childers Signs With WME, Lands ‘Gangster Squad’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Monday October 3, 2011 @ 8:51am PDTTags: Gangster Squad, Josh Brolin, Megan Ellison, Paul Thomas Anderson, Ruben Fleischer, Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn
Mike Fleming

Ambyr ChildersAmbyr Childers, who played the daughter of the faith founder (Philip Seymour Hoffman) in Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film for Megan Ellison’s Annapurna and The Weinstein Company, has landed a key role in Gangster Squad, the Ruben Fleischer-directed period … Read More »

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Bumble Ward Buzzing Into Fox PR Post

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Thursday August 25, 2011 @ 7:23pm PDTTags: 20th Century Fox, Bumble Ward, James Mangold, Marc Forster, Paul Thomas Anderson, Peter and Bobby Farrelly, Quentin Tarantino, Sofia Coppola, Stephen Gaghan, Tim Burton, Tony Scott
Mike Fleming

Bumble Ward, who halted her career as a personal publicist to take up creative writing in 2005, is in negotiations to head up film publicity at 20th Century Fox, I’m told. She would replace Carol Sewell and report to Oren … Read More »

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Amy Adams Joins Paul Thomas Anderson Pic

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Wednesday June 1, 2011 @ 12:01pm PDTTags: Amy Adams, Paul Thomas Anderson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Weinstein Company
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Amy Adams has formally been set to star in Paul Thomas Anderson’s untitled film, which begins production later this month. She will play the wife of the character played by Philip Seymour Hoffman. He plays a man who returns … Read More »

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Cannes: Megan Ellison Wins ‘Terminator’ Rights Auction

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Friday May 13, 2011 @ 12:34am PDTTags: Annapurna Films, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Cannes, Justin Lin, Kathryn Bigelow, Megan Ellison, Paul Thomas Anderson
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Megan Ellison has won an auction for the rights to make at least two more installments of The Terminator franchise, with Fast Five’s Justin Lin attached to direct and Arnold Schwarzenegger attached to star. The deal came down to Ellison’s Annapurna Films and Lionsgate, which seemed to have had the project sewn up until she came forward with a dramatic bid. The auction at the time was for a guarantee for at least half of the $29.5 million paid by hedge fund Pacificor to pull the franchise out of bankruptcy. Unclear what the winning amount was, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it hit the $20 million mark. CAA brokered the deal.

Deadline revealed the two finalists in the auction on Wednesday, and I’m told that the deal closed late Thursday. Ellison, the daughter or Oracle founder Larry Ellison, and sister of Paramount-based Skydance producer/financier David Ellison, is winging her way to Cannes right now. She has a lot going on here. Read More »

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Harvey Weinstein Buys World Rights To Paul Thomas Anderson’s Untitled Next Film

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Monday May 9, 2011 @ 11:26am PDTTags: Amy Adams, CAA, Cannes, Harvey Weinstein, Joaquin Phoenix, Laura Dern, Megan Ellison, Paul Thomas Anderson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Weinstein Company
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: The Weinstein Company has won a quiet but fevered bidding battle for worldwide distribution rights to the untitled next film by Paul Thomas Anderson. The film begins production June 13, with Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix so far set to star. Megan Ellison is financing. It is Anderson’s first trip behind the camera since There Will Be Blood.

Hoffman and Phoenix are locked. As for the actresses, I’m told that Anderson is eyeing such women as Madisen Beaty (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) for a role, with Amy Adams, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo‘s Lena Endre and Laura Dern also mentioned as actresses Anderson is interested in. The auction was held at CAA headquarters late last week, with Fox Searchlight also squarely in the mix.

This is the project that Anderson has worked on for a long time, once under the title The Master. He has greatly overhauled the script and now, 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. The film is fully financed by Ellison’s Annapurna banner. At a time when the implosion of the indie film marketplace made pricey auteur films so hard to finance, Ellison has emerged as something of a godsend to the small group of auteurs she is working with. She’s enabled Anderson to make the movie at or near the $35 million budget the film was going to cost back when Universal stepped away. Read More »

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Hollywood & Religion: More Controversy To Come If New Films Anger The Faithful

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Sunday April 24, 2011 @ 1:54pm PDTTags: Broadway, Filmmakers, Hollywood, James Frey, Matt Stone, Mel Gibson, Movies, Paul Thomas Anderson, Religion, The Book of Mormon, The Master, The Passion of the Christ, Trey Parker
Mike Fleming

Easter Sunday seems an appropriate time to focus on Hollywood’s treatment of the subject matter of religion. When it comes to making movies from various Biblical interpretations, conventional wisdom says stick close to scripture and the faithful will flock. Mel … Read More »

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Robert Downey Jr. Eyeing Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘Inherent Vice?’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Saturday February 19, 2011 @ 1:46pm PSTTags: Alfonso Cuaron, CAA, Paul Thomas Anderson, Robert Downey Jr., Shane Black
Mike Fleming

After dropping out of the Alfonso Cuaron-directed Gravity, word is Robert Downey Jr is eyeing Inherent Vice, an adaptation of the Thomas Pynchon mystery novel. Downey would play Larry “Doc” Sportello, a private eye based in Los Angeles in the … Read More »

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