With 'The Master' already garnering its fair share of critical acclaim in advance of its September 14th release, director Paul Thomas Anderson already has his eye on his next project: an adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's 2009 novel, 'Inherent Vice' starring Robert Downey Jr.

Although Pynchon's work often defies adaptation, Anderson feels like the right match for the reclusive author (he's also considered making a film of the writer's 1973 opus, 'Gravity's Rainbow'). Speaking with Empire, he described his take on 'Inherent Vice' "...like a Cheech and Chong movie. [Adapting Pychon's work is] just gonna be great and, hopefully, fun."

If "like a Cheech and Chong movie" and "Paul Thomas Anderson" being mentioned in the same sentence makes your brain turn inside out, you're not alone. It's an odd combination considering how deathly serious his last two films have been. Could 'Inherent Vice' be a return to his 'Boogie Nights' style, where he managed to blend goofy character comedy with darker elements? After all, this isn't a dark look into the crumbling soul of an oil magnate or a borderline experimental treatise on cults and PTSD: this is a detective thriller about a stoner detective that's been compared to 'The Big Lebowski.' Here's the official synopsis of the novel:

"In this lively yarn, Thomas Pynchon, working in an unaccustomed genre that is at once exciting and accessible, provides a classic illustration of the principle that if you can remember the sixties, you weren't there. It's been a while since Doc Sportello has seen his ex- girlfriend. Suddenly she shows up with a story about a plot to kidnap a billionaire land developer whom she just happens to be in love with. It's the tail end of the psychedelic sixties in L.A., and Doc knows that "love" is another of those words going around at the moment, like "trip" or "groovy," except that this one usually leads to trouble. Undeniably one of the most influential writers at work today, Pynchon has penned another unforgettable book."

But when can we expect this movie to come out? After all, there were five long years between 'There Will Be Blood' and 'The Master.' Don't worry -- Anderson feels your pain. On the timeframe for production, he says: “Hopefully not long. I'd like to have a few years of being more productive. But we'll see.

With Downey Jr. attached to play Doc Sportello, it sounds like another potential winner from one of our best filmmakers. What do you think, PTA fans? More importantly, what do the Pynchon fans out there think?

More From ScreenCrush