Despite the critical success of There Will Be Blood, director Paul Thomas Anderson has had huge problems putting together a follow-up, laregely because in the current climate, nobody wanted to finance the sort of films he wanted to make. However he’s now sorted that out, and it’s been announced that his new movie will start shooting on June 13th.
Formerly known as The Master but currently untitled, Joaquin Phoenix has also now been confirmed to star in the movie. Philip Seymour Hoffman – who’s been attached to the flick for a long time – will also star as a religious figure known only as The Master, who creates a belief system after returning from the horrors of World War II. The “religion” begins to spread in popularity all over America during the 1950s. Joaquin Phoenix is playing Freddie, a young vagabond who becomes chosen as The Master’s right-hand man, although he starts to question The Master’s motives. The story is said to be loosely based on the foundation of Scientology by L. Ron Hubbard, although Deadline reports that the original script has been somewhat reworked from the original version.
It is also said that actresses Amy Adams, Madisen Beaty, Lena Endre, and Laura Dern are being considered for roles.
The Weinstein Company recently won a bidding war for the worldwide distribution rights to the project, allowing it to go ahead. Paul Thomas Anderson is working from his own original screenplay on the $35 million flick.