It's been quite some time since we've seen anything from 'The Master,' well those of us that aren't Emily Watson anyway. During principal photography it looked like we'd be getting frequent peeks at the goings on of the film as reports of cast and costumed extras were rolling in. But (aside from the fact that filming having wrapped up months ago) there really hasn't been a single leak since Stellar Spa took down the pics back in June. Well today, thanks to BlackBook and set photographer Jack Erling, we have another behind-the-scenes look at the film. Take a look after the jump...
Maybe it's just the black and white but the images remind us a bit of these. What do you think?
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Huge props to MTVNews for really using every excuse to ask people about PTA. A few weeks ago they cornered Rami Malek for some details on 'The Master' and today they've gotten a few good quotes out of Robert Downey Jr. about the rumors of their collaboration on 'Inherent Vice.' Now 'Vice' if you don't remember is an adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's novel about an L.A.-based private eye who takes on a case involving an ex-girlfriend, her real estate billionaire boyfriend and a kidnapping. Paul wrote the screenplay back in 2010 after running into trouble with 'The Master' financing and with Downey rumored to be attached, it looked as if 'Vice' had a good chance of going before cameras first.
But this was all before film saint Megan Ellison swooped in and Annapurna Pictures decided to finance both projects and Paul decided to rewrite 'The Master' and do that instead/first. Word has been quiet on the project while he's been busy on the aforementioned film so we can assume there hasn't really been any movement on it for some time. When asked about the project Downey didn't really confirm or deny but definitely seems anxious to work with Paul.
"Anything to do with Paul Thomas Anderson and I doing a movie together is probably true," Downey Jr. said. "We tend to talk about a variety of potential projects, and Thomas Pynchon's 'Inherent Vice' could be great, we'll see."
"I feel like I'm booked but I'm not. I make space for what I want to do," he said, adding that what he enjoys most about Anderson is the fact that he's talented and just darn likeable. "I just think he's one of our great American directors, I just like hanging out with the guy."
Cross your fingers that with financing already in place and a script that should be ready to go, we won't be waiting another 5 years between films. That is of course, assuming that Paul doesn't decide he wants to rewrite it heavily or do something else entirely. (Thanks @angel_glands & Charlie for the heads up!)
Stay tuned to Twitter and Facebook. We have another little post about 'The Master' coming up in a few...
Diablo Cody is a divisive figure in the film world. She won a screenwriting Oscar at 29 for her debut film -- the Jason Reitman directed "Juno" -- but quickly became the target of a backlash against the film's stylized dialogue and apparent "quirkiness." (For what it's worth, we actually liked it.) Cody and Reitman both went off and made other pictures but have reteamed once again for "Young Adult" featuring Charlize Theron as an author of teen novels who goes back to her hometown to reclaim her high school sweetheart. During the press rounds for the film Reitman, Cody, Theron and co-star Patton Oswalt (Delmer Darion himself) were asked which actor or director's they really admired and Cody called herself out as a PTA fan girl and professed her admiration for "Punch-Drunk Love" in particular. Read on (via Collider)...
Diablo Cody: I know a lot of people feel this way, so it’s not the most original answer. I’m the most insane unrepentant Paul Thomas Anderson fan girl. I’ve been watching actually Punch Drunk Love a lot lately. I really love that movie. To express that kind of truth in a film is to me so amazing. Even late last night I was watching this old video he directed for Fiona Apple and I was like I couldn’t even make a feature film as powerful as this three minute video. I just think he is awesome.
Patton Oswalt: I love the beginning of Magnolia, the thing about the dealer. That scene is genius. Brilliantly acted.
There you have it, she's just like us! We caught "Young Adult" the other night and thought was a very good film. Unflinchingly dark at times featuring a monster performance by Theron, it's probably also a career best for both Cody and Reitman and should serve to silence the haters. The film opens this Friday if you get a chance to see it or you can just pop in your 'PDL' dvd one more time while we wait for the Blu-ray.
As always, please follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news and updates.
Moviefone sat down with "War Horse" star Emily Watson and while talking to her about her career, the conversation turned to her (magnificent) work in "Punch-Drunk Love." The actress mentioned that she'd love to work with Paul again and then let slip that she's actually seen the first 30 minutes of 'The Master.' Take it away, Emily...
One of my favorite movies is 'Punch-Drunk Love.' [A big smile overcomes her face] Yeah. Me, too.
Were you at all hesitant to take that role? Not with P.T. Anderson, but maybe there was a concern about this being an Adam Sandler wacky comedy? No, I knew. Paul came to me and said, "I'm doing this film with Adam and I'd like you to be in it." And the idea of the two of us in a room together tickled me pink. Just particularity where he was at and where I was at -- we were from different planets. And I thought, what a delicious idea.
You two should do another movie together. I'd love to! I would love to do another movie.
I think people do miss the Sandler who pushed himself like that. Yeah. And he had an incredible work ethic. We did hundreds of takes ... Well, not hundreds, but take after take after take. Adam just went at it, went at it, went at it. He completely gave over to being in a Paul Thomas Anderson movie. He gave himself over to it in a very self-effacing way. It's lovely.
And it's been so long since we've seen a Paul Thomas Anderson movie. He has made one, I saw the first half an hour.
Of 'The Master'? It's going to be incredible. I'm not going to say anything more on that. He'll kill me!
So the first half hour already exists? Oh, yeah. Well ... they're editing.
Very, very exciting. Our fingers are still crossed there might be some sort of footage released before the end of the year but with likely a full 12 months to go before release we understand if Paul wants to keep a tight lid on things. But that doesn't mean we're not jealous.
As always, please follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news and updates.
We had a feeling this would be the case but for some reason that doesn't make it any less thrilling to see it confirmed: Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood is returning to score 'The Master.' His work on "There Will Be Blood" was brilliant and undoubtedly one of the highlights of the film so it's an absolute joy to hear that he'll be back for another round. This news comes via a tweet on 12/2 by British record label Babel founder Oliver Weindling that said simply, "Zed-U recorded part of soundtrack for Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead last week. Film (by Paul Thomas Anderson) to appear in 2013." Zed-U is a British jazz trio signed to Mr. Weindling's label that are apparently being employed by Mr. Greenwood on the soundtrack. You can check out a few videos of the group below.
The one question we have in all of this: 2013? A commenter has pointed out that it's likely true the films U.K. release would be in 2013 if it's still on track for a late 2012 U.S. release. Crisis averted. (Thanks for the headsup, Charlie and Dick!)
As always, please follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news and updates.
Well the unofficial press tour continues. Collider recently got a chance to sit down with Amy Adams and after their chat about "The Muppets" asked about her collaboration with PTA on 'The Master,' (a title which she did not correct, btw). Watch the clip and you can see her get visibly excited to talk about the experience.
Amy Adams: It was amazing. I have to say it feels like, it almost feels like it didn't happen. I know that sounds very strange to say but you kind of go into this world where you're so invested in the character and Joaquin [Phoenix] and Philip [Seymour Hoffman] are so amazing and you're just in it. It was just an amazing experience, enveloping and really transformative for me personally so I just hope that's on the screen. I mean it's Paul Thomas Anderson.
Collider: He's known for doing really long takes, did you get to do any of those famous long takes?
Amy: Yeah, yeah it was really fun.
Update 11/22: NYMag also spoke to the actress who managed to get another brief quote from Ms. Adams.
NYMag: I have to say, though, the film I'm most excited for is the one you just made with Paul Thomas Anderson ... ... which was an incredible experience.
NYMag: He directs so rarely ... what was that set like? It's hard to talk about right now, because it was such a surreal experience. I had so many great moments on that set, working with Philip and Joaquin, who are so committed that they just pull you right in. It almost doesn't feel real. It feels like it was a dream, like it didn't really happen. But Paul's a lot funnier than I expected. He is! And I don't know what I expected, but it was a remarkable experience for me. It's my third film with Philip, so it's no secret that I totally love him and would do anything with him, but to get to work with him in this way was really a dream.
There you have it. Drips and drabs. So far we've gotten very tight lipped responses from about half the cast: Laura Dern, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rami Malek and now, Adams. Just think, it can't be too much longer before we get our first look at an actual frame of film. In the meantime you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news and updates.
MTVNews caught up with "Twilight" actor Rami Malek at the premiere for the latest installment of the undead franchise and was thoughtful enough to ask about his involvement in the (still untitled?) PTA film. The MTV news correspondent (who, sidebar, goes to the same gym as me), called Paul "the greatest filmmaker alive" and tried digging for details on the film.
Malek: He, to work with is staggering. Staggering man. I play Philip Seymour Hoffman's son-in-law in the movie and... [it was] one of the best experiences of my life.
MTV: Not about Scientology, to put it to rest, right? [pause] Or is it?
Malek: I'm not allowed to talk about that one either. That's one I really have to keep tight-lipped on.
MTV: Okay, well I can't wait to see that one.
Malek: It's going to be really good.
MTV: I know it will, I know it will.
Thanks Xixax for the tip. We also noticed a small shoutout during Morgan's Spurlock product placement doc, "The Greatest Movie Ever Sold," where "Friday Night Lights" director Peter Berg cites Radiohead and Paul Thomas Anderson as being two artists who aren't going to compromise their art to appease brands. Trudat.
As much as we hate to give it any more attention, we should also mention that there was yet another incident recently where someone pretending to be Paul was trying to drum up some attention on Twitter even briefly dragging Julianne Moore into his shenannigans. Please ignore this kind of thing in the future as it's very unlikely that Paul is going to start tweeting in the first place and if he did, we'd be sure to give you a heads up.
In the meantime you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news and updates. Please tell your friends.
Not the news we expected to wake up to this morning, but hidden in a Variety article about one-time assistant to Scott Rudin, now producer Kevin Walsh is the following gem:
Walsh even inadvertently nabbed a plum acting role when he attended a wedding in which helmer Paul Thomas Anderson officiated as minister. Anderson liked Walsh's retro looks and cast him in his upcoming period drama "The Master."
We would have loved to be at that reception. Anyone have pics? (via xixax)
On a completely unrelated note, if you've ever wondered what Paul looked like in high school click here. And as always, stay tuned on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news and updates.
It may not be terribly exciting, actually it's even less interesting than the one that debuted over the summer, but the above image is a brand new promo poster for Untitled Paul Thomas Anderson Project which was spotted at the American Film Market by Collider. The site has also brought us a (slightly modified) synopsis:
Written and directed by Academy Award nominee Paul Thomas Anderson (the acclaimed director of, There Will Be Blood, Magnolia and Boogie Nights), this story stars Academy Award winner Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) and Academy Award-nominee Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line). Set in America in the years following World War II, a charismatic intellectual (Hoffman) launches a faith-based organization and taps a young drifter (Phoenix) as his right-hand man. But as the faith begins to gain a fervent following, the onetime vagabond finds himself questioning the belief system he has embraced, and his mentor. A truly one-of-a-kind drama, which promises magnetic virtuoso performances, the film marks the fifth collaboration between Anderson and Hoffman, following Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and Punch Drunk Love.
Now many of you are probably asking, why is it being billed as "Untitled Paul Thomas Anderson Project" after we thought it had been titled "The Master" back in June? Well, we're not sure actually. In June @TheInsneider at Variety said it was confirmed (and we figured Variety was a pretty legit source) but it seems very possible that may not be the final title after all or maybe Paul's just keeping his options open. It would definitely be a little strange at this point to start referring to it as something else, especially after a year of it being "The Master" but trust in Paul, all will be revealed.
In other news, this past weekend (while both myself and Mr. FortyFPS were in LA, mind you) Paul popped up to introduce a special screening of Martin Scorsese's latest, "Hugo" and also stuck around to moderate the Q&A with Scorsese, DP Robert Richardson, composer Howard Shore, production designer Dante Ferretti, edtitor Thelma Schoonmaker, and visual effects supervisor Robert Legato. You can watch a few videos of the talk below via Hollywood Elsewhere and listen to the entire thing over at Hitfix (scroll to the bottom). (Thanks @TheMcRaj for the link.)
Stay tuned on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news and updates.
It's always fun to think about the things that might have been, particularly when it comes to casting. We already know that Paul had originally wanted Leonardo DiCaprio for Dirk Diggler in "Boogie Nights" but according to a recent interview with Collider, it looks like Albert Brooks (seen most recently in this year's excellent "Drive") says he had to turn down the part of Jack Horner because he was in preproduction on his own movie (looks like either "Mother" or "The Muse").
Is there a part over the last decade or two that you were offered that you turned down and still think about?
Brooks: Well, I turned down so many parts. I couldn’t even begin to tell you. Dead Poets Society and Big and Pretty Woman. One part that I actually wanted to play, and I was in pre-production of my own movie, just because I thought I wanted to work with Paul [Thomas Anderson] was the part that Burt Reynolds got in Boogie Nights. I liked that whole ensemble. When I read that script, I really liked it. But I couldn’t stop, I couldn’t shut down what I was doing. But, regrets are stupid; they don’t mean anything and they don’t add up to anything.
No new news on "The Master" front. But you can check out "The Master" cast here. And for some reason if you like sitting through commercials, AMC is airing "There Will Be Blood" this Saturday where it will be edited and likely still 4 hours long. Stay tuned on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news and updates.
As you know, things have been very quiet on "The Master" front for quite some time now. Principal photography is finished and the cast have all moved on to other projects. But lucky for us, those projects will inevitably include interviews in which some intrepid journalist will ask the actor in question about the mysterious 'Master.' Actress Laura Dern, who plays a still unknown role in the film, is currently promoting her new HBO series "Enlightened" when she was asked by The Press Assocation (whatever that is) about her experience on the project.
"It's an amazing experience. Joaquin's such an incredible actor and Philip Seymour Hoffman was in the film, they're doing such incredible work. I think [Paul's] so brilliant and one of our most important visionaries ever in film."
And there you have it, the vault once again becomes sealed. As always, more information when it arrives.
Update 11/1: Dern spoke with Slate Magazine who got a little bit more out of her regarding the project.
Laura Dern: It’s someone who is very involved, for sure. You know what I love about Paul, I love a zillion things about Paul like so many of us do, but Paul is old school in the best sense of the word. I was raised in the ‘70s and I’ve worked with people I love and I’ve been on sets with my parents, with people who run a set and require of actors a sense of liberty and freedom and exploration and failure into brave achievement. Other than Jonathan Demme, Paul Thomas Anderson, bless and rest his soul, Robert Altman, who was such a pioneer for Paul and myself, there are very few people making movies like that, so just working on a set with him is so extraordinary. In terms of the subject of the film, and all of the films he makes, he dances so comfortably in the gray. When he takes on the subject matter, any subject matter, he is there to examine what it offers; not just take anything down. It’s funny when people think filmmakers are irreverent. It’s like, “Ooh, what’s he doing. I heard the movie’s about dot dot dot.” They go, “I bet he’s really going to attack it.” In fact, he tries to uncover what he loves. What the worth is in something.
You may have noticed it's been a while since our last update but fear not, we have not gone on hiatus. The film, which wrapped up principal photography a few months ago, is now in post-production which means Paul and co. have basically gone into hiding. But just believe that it's killing us as much as it's killing you. But to tide you over until we see some sort of official look at the film, we do have a bit of late-casting news via The Playlist. Ambyr Childers, a vet of daytime soap "All My Children" was cast as Elizabeth, the daughter of Lancaster Dodd (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) in the film. You can now see her in our updated"The Master" cast.
In other news, The AV Club recently had an interview with "Hung" star Thomas Jane. He talks about peeing in Paul's lawn and choosing to do a Gene Hackman movie over a second role in "Magnolia." You will probably want to read it.
If you've been following our Twitter account you'd already know that you might want to check out "Elmer Gantry" for a bit of inspiration. Carry on and stay tuned on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news and updates.
One of the single, most common things in sports is having the general manager come out publicly and start insisting that whatever rumor about this player or that manager is dominating the press is 100% not happening or untrue. And then a week or two later, whatever was reported usually happens.
At a wrap-party for Ides Of March, one of the writers from Hollywood Elsewhere caught up with Philip Seymour Hoffman (allegedly known as "Philly" in that group) and he asked him directly about some of the endless Master/Scientology reports. Their conversation:
PSH: "It's not a scientology film."
HE: "But I've read an early draft and it seems to be about a Scientology-like cult...and I've read about the parallels."
PSH: "I don't know what you've heard and what script you've read...Trust me, it's not about Scientology."
So there you have it officially from The Master's mouth. It is, or is not, about Scientology. Sleep well until around December when we'll actually have the answer and perhaps the first teaser trailer.
Major congratulations are in order to Paul & Maya on the birth of their first son, Jack. Congrats guys! People Magazine writes...
The Bridesmaids star, 38, and director Paul Thomas Anderson welcomed their third child, son Jack, on July 3, her rep tells PEOPLE.
Jack – who is home and doing great – joins big sisters Pearl, 5½, and Lucille, 20 months.
While pregnant, Rudolph said she was especially excited to discover the sex of the baby, which she and Anderson chose not to find out prior to the delivery.
"The exciting part is not knowing who's coming," she explained. "You have to wait nine months for a surprise, but then it's a good payoff because it really is a surprise."
Feel free to leave them some well wishes in the comments on the off-chance that they might read them. Though we can only imagine how stressful it is having a baby while filming your movie, things have been very quiet since "The Master" moved to LA. The only thing of note we've come across is a short piece on Hollywood Elsewhere that points out the script's similarities to Herman Melville. Very interesting indeed.
Once again, congrats to Paul & Maya from C&RV and stay tuned on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news and updates (and babies).
Quiet week for news on "The Master" as we hear filming has moved to LA for the remainder of the shoot so it looks like we've seen the last of our set images until Paul decides to release one of his own. If you follow us on Twitter you'll see we had heard from one of the extras working on the final days of the Bay Area shoot that Paul was "very hands-on, very present" while filming and not content to hang out in video village.
In lieu of any new news, site contributor Zablotny recently pointed us to this video interview with two time Academy Award winning Sound Mixer Michael Semanick who has worked with Paul on all of his films since "Magnolia." You can check out the full video above though we've transcribed the PTA-related bits. At about the 32:45 mark, Michael spoke a little bit about working with Paul on "There Will Be Blood"
The first screening I saw of "There Will Be Blood" Paul always does this thing where he has me see the film at some point, [the] rough cut of it. So I went to see it and in the first, I think at that point it was almost 30 minutes, there's literally no music and there's no dialogue. It's a long time. And you guys all know movies, Hollywood's like "C'mon man, you gotta get this thing going!" It's like MTV, let's go "Cut, cut cut." "Where's the music to help support it?" [like in] all these action movies.
And I watched that scene and I was captivated by him digging in the hole and the whole thing, the well, the whole thing. I don't know if you know the film but it was captivating and I found it very interesting. And it wasn't like it hadn't been done before but it hadn't been kinda done in a long time. I mean, I think "The Birds," Hitchcock's movie, doesn't even have music in it. So it was something that I came out of the screening and the producers ran up to me and said "isn't it boring? Don't we need to add music in the beginning?" And I was like, "No, I was captivated by it. What are you talking about?" [They said] "We need music we need music."
I told Paul [about it] and he cut the scene down and Jonny Greenwood did add some tonal stuff but it's very tonal. It's not really music, I mean it's music, I don't want to say it's not music. Which worked very well for the movie and those are kind of the things, I knew what Paul was trying to do. I could feel what he was trying to capture and I thought he grabbed it. And Daniel Day Lewis just being so captivating onscreen, it was there. We didn't need to add a whole lot of sound. We added things to fill out the track and make it sound [better]. There's a lot of things in "There Will Be Blood" sonically, like in all the movies, that was an example of taking a chance a little bit, Paul was.
Semanick was then asked if people thought they were crazy and he said "Yeah, but it worked out" and went on to talk about working with an exuberant 29 year old Paul on "Magnolia"...
Hey man, I've had some good times with Paul and we were both pretty young and it was a lot of fun. When we were mixing "Magnolia" at Warner Bros., we were just kids still, it was like, "Dude, can you believe we're here at Warner Bros.?" "Yeah, man. We're mixing movies!" I said, "Yeah, we're making movies." He goes, "I'm a famous director now and I like in the Hollywood Hills and this is cool! I've got a rock star girlfriend..." And I said "it's pretty amazing." [Paul says] "And they pay us!" And they're paying us to do what we love to do. I thought that was "you know Paul, you're right." And we loved it. And times change and now it's like, still having fun, had fun on 'Blood.' [It was] a great time, I had a good time.
Things are still very quiet on "The Master" set as virtually no images of principal cast members have leaked out despite filming in residential communities full of people. And if they don't emerge soon we may not see them for quite some time as we hear the production is gearing up to move from the Bay Area back to LA for the remainder of the shoot. But thanks to Xixax we do have this little video about the production along with a short article over at Berkely Side (which you may have seen on our Twitter earlier this week). No real revelations here though the video does feature a somewhat hilarious mix-up of PSH's name.
They've also uncovered a few pictures from the archives of Paul at the Sundance Labs in 1993 and 2000 (2). We're sure you will find them as amusing as we do. Check out "The Master" cast. Stay tuned to Cigarettes & Red Vines on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news and updates.
Despite weeks of filming on "The Master," only a few pictures have leaked out from the set and until now the only actors that have appeared have been extras. Above you have your first look at a principal cast member as we believe that's actress Fiona Dourif (whose role is still unspecified). In a case of mistaken identities that recalled the great "Vincent Froio incident of 2006," these images were initially posted on an Amy Adams fansite yesterday morning (where we first saw them) as well as a few gossip blogs. But The Film Stage was first to correct their mistake so you can head over there for a larger look at these photos.
You may have noticed that the local spa that had proven to be quite an inside source for updates has suddenly vanished (along with all the posts in question), so we don't imagine we'll be seeing any future updates from them. We did however come across a few more set pics in the Mare Island Yardbird and it's nothing we haven't seen before, just another look at the mansion, some extras and some cars but you can check them out after the jump courtesy photographer Kim Kulish:
Despite it being Paul's birthday -- no, we didn't forget -- we here at The Vines thought you should be the one to receive wonderful things for coming back and finding us. And this clip, which is essentially additional That Moment-esque footage, is very much that and more. The highlight naturally being Paul providing a "Smiling Peanut" state-of-the-union to everyone on location.
We recently received an unconfirmed tip from a source close to production who told us "The Master" isn't utilizing a mix of 65mm and 35mm as previously suspected but instead is shooting exclusively in 65mm. We realize you may need a minute to compose yourselves as we did when we first heard the news but HOLY SHIT. If this report turns out to be true then we're all in for one stunning looking film. Additionally, The South Wing tumblr posted the above image which apparently is the camera Stanley Kubrick used on "2001: A Space Odyssey" which you already know is the same camera currently being used by Paul Thomas Anderson on "The Master." You can read a bit more about the 65mm format at Wikipedia.
Update: Since posting this article only a short while ago, another source close to the production has assured us that it's a split format shoot (both 35mm and 65mm). Whichever turns out to be true, we're sure it'll still be a beautiful looking film. Carry on.
If you follow us on Twitter you already know that fansite Just Joaquin posted this short reader report from a neighbor to one of the houses being used for filming. We've left all the hilarious misspellings in tact.
Steve wrote: Just thought you'd like to ( in case you didn't already), that I saw Joaquin Phoenix in Crockett, Calif last Thursday ( Live there). They were filming a movie in the house a couple doors away from mine, but were keeping the whole thing hush hush. At 8am on Thursday morning as I was sitting on my front porch steps, he walked right by me on his way to a waiting car and said "hows it going?". Not recognizing him at first, I casually nodded back to him. He was wearing some those blue pants the people in the Navy wear and smoking a cigarette. Later that day I saw him again, this time in a different outfit ( 1940's) as they were filming him in a scene on the porch of the house they were filming. Thats when I finally figured out who it was. Seemore Philip Hoffman was also doing scenes there. I think the directors name is Anderson or something like that.
Anyway, on Friday they were kind enough to let a few of the locals watch them film the exterior shots. It was pretty cool. They worked until late Friday night and then took off to Mare Island in Vallejo ( just a few miles from the town of Crockett) where they're going to film the shipyard scenes.
Took a bunch of photos with my cell phone, but unfortunately I didn't have a zoom. If you look really carefully you can see Joaquin on the porch of the house.
Just as we were winding down for the week comes a late breaking bit of Friday news. According to Variety two more actors have come aboard the Untitled Paul Thomas Anderson Project. Josh Close (TV's "The Unusuals") will play one of the Master's leading disciples while Fiona Dourif (HBO's "True Blood," daughter of Brad Dourif) has an undisclosed role. We might speculate again that she is playing the elder daughter, 19 year old Elizabeth (though Dourif is 29, she could probably pass for 19 more than Madisen Beaty who is only 16) but again, that's just pure speculation. Interesting to note that in earlier incarnations of the film Paul had been interested in Deborah Ann Woll (also of HBO's "True Blood"), for an unspecified role so it's either a complete coincidence or he's a fan of the show (though this writer can't imagine why). Also of interest is that Close costarred in the show "The Unusuals" in 2009 with Jeremy Renner, who was of course, long attached to the role of Freddie.
In other news it appears the film has a title. The Untitled Paul Thomas Anderson Project/Untitled Religious Drama/Untitled Scientology Film usually referred to as 'The Master' will officially be titled...
"The Master"
We think we can get used to that. Read the article below.
'The Master' converts 2 thesps
Josh Close, Fiona Dourif board Paul Thomas Anderson's religious drama
By Jeff Sneider, Justin Kroll
EXCLUSIVE: Paul Thomas Anderson's religious drama "The Master" just picked up a pair of late converts in Josh Close and Fiona Dourif.
Currently shooting in Sacramento, pic also stars Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix and Amy Adams.
Hoffman plays a man who begins a faith-based belief system that closely resembles Scientology. Close will play a leading disciple, while Dourif's role wasn't disclosed. Anderson wrote the pic and is directing. JoAnne Sellar, John Lesher, Bill Pohlad and Megan Ellison producing. Ellison's Annapurna Pictures will finance with The Weinstein Company handling worldwide distribution.
Close most recently wrote, produced and starred in "The Replicas" also starring Selma Blair and James D'Arcy.
Dourif, daughter of Oscar winner Brad Dourif, will soon be seen in a recurring role on HBO's "True Blood" as a witch. She previously had recurring roles on the pay cabler's "Deadwood" and on the FX miniseries "Thief." Earlier this year, thesp co-starred in the Sundance pic "Letters From the Big Man."
Close is repped by Buchwald & Associates and Untitled Entertainment; Dourif is repped by Innovative Artists and Juliet Green Management.
Also if the film is indeed shooting in Sacramento (as Variety suggests), that's news to us. As that city is about an hour+ northeast of Mare Island where we know the film has been shootingall week. Perhaps they meant San Francisco?
Check out our updated"The Master" cast. Stay tuned to Cigarettes & Red Vines on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news and updates.
Looks like the folks over at the Stellar Spa blog are becoming a pretty reliable news source as filming continues on 'The Master.' They've just posted the second batch of behind-the-scenes images from the film with the promise of more to come. While still no sign of anyone in the main cast, these are quite a step up from the first batch, giving us a better look at the post-war era in which the film takes place. We've included a snippet of their post below and you can check out the rest of the images after the jump (at your own discretion of course).
The first set of dock worker extras moved onto the set and rehearsed their scenes. At the same time we were told a scene inside one of historic brick building offices was being shot with Joaquin Phoenix. After a couple of short dock scenes were shot, a second set of extras moved into position to board the Potomac for what appeared to be a cocktail party. At about 10:30 “all quiet” was sounded and the scene rolled. Back-in-the-day music blared, the boat horn blew, trucks rolled by, the boat launched, the party rolled on and “cut”. There you have it. After the scene shot we spotted Philip Seymour Hoffman walking from the set dressed in a dapper greenish colored suit towards catering to sit down for dinner with who else... Amy Adams. How cool. We never made it to “it’s a wrap” that night and I feel for the cast and crew who hit the pillow the next morning probably about the time we were making coffee. Yesterday we were privy to seeing the "talent" in action at one of the historic mansions being used as a set. Since we were up close, we have some great tidbits, etc. about the acting from Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Pheonix, Amy Adams, David Warshofski and Laura Dern. Stay tuned for more tidbits from Stellar Spa & Dana and Patrick Vandeweg...
Thanks to a local Spa, some images have leaked out from the closed set of 'The Master.' If you've been paying attention to our Twitter feed, you already know that the first dispatch from Mare Island, where the film is shooting came last week with a report of filming at sea. Might be slightly spoilery for those who want to go in clean, so click at your own risk.
Last night they posted another handful of images from a mansion where filming is taking place. The Examiner has posted a short article with photo descriptions that you can check out by clicking the link.
We've heard the rumors for a while now, starting with a comment on our Elswit story, but we've now received a tip from a source close to production that confirms Mihai Malaimare Jr. is the cinematographer on 'The Master.' The DP previously worked with Francis Ford Coppola on "Youth Without Youth," "Tetro" and the forthcoming "Twixt Not And Sunrise" all of which were shot digitally. But not to worry, 'The Master' is shooting on film and if our source is correct, there will be 65mm. If you're not familiar with his work, we've included a short behind-the-scenes video from "Tetro" and a Sony spot both featuring the DP at work. This will be Paul's first feature without longtime DP Robert Elswit, who was already scheduled to work on the new 'Mission: Impossible' and 'Bourne' films.
