Paul Thomas Anderson Returns with a 1970s High School Movie
Paul Thomas Anderson will be returning to his roots next year with a self-directed, written, and produced film centered around a boy in high school during the 1970s. Considering the director attended high school around this time, our instincts tell us that this movie could very much be inspired by Anderson’s own experiences. Confirming our suspicions further, the movie will be shot in the San Fernando Valley, where Anderson notably grew up. It will be the fourth film of his career to be set in this location, following his 1997 debut Boogie Nights, Magnolia (1999), and Punch Drunk Love (2002).
According to The Hollywood Reporter, casting for the movie is already underway for production beginning in February 2020. The project, which has yet to be titled, will be released under PTA’s Ghoulardi Film Company banner. Although its lead will be a boy is a successful child actor, the movie could be "ensemble in nature or have interacting storylines". It is one of 13 films to receive California tax credits next year, along with Damien Chazelle’s Babylon for Paramount and Aaron Sorkin’s Lucille Ball biopic for Amazon Studios starring Cate Blanchett.
This project marks the ninth feature film from Paul Thomas Anderson, following up 2017’s period drama Phantom Thread, which won an Academy Award for Best Costume Design. His most recent production was Anima, a short musical film for Thom Yorke’s album of the same name.
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