He’s not the most prolific of American filmmakers, but he may be one of our best. Paul Thomas Anderson has made just one film in the 2020s, and only 3 in the last 15 years, but every single one has been a cinematic event. (Those last three, if you’ve forgotten, were Inherent Vice, Phantom Thread, and Licorice Pizza. Pretty good trio of films!)
And now Anderson is reportedly prepping a new project, although apparently one being made under a great deal of secrecy. We don’t have any idea what the movie is about or what it’s called — which is not totally unheard of for Anderson — but word leaked today that the movie would be headlined by an impressive bunch of actors including Leonardo DiCaprio — making his first appearance in an Anderson film — plus Regina Hall and Sean Penn. Production of the movie is supposedly set to begin very soon.
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According to Variety, the only thing we know about the subject of the film is that it “has a contemporary setting and will be an ensemble piece.” They also note that the project is so secret that “Warner Bros. has tried to keep the mere fact that it was producing the movie under wraps for months. But its price tag has raised eyebrows, with insiders saying the budget is approaching $100 million.”
If that’s accurate, that would be a significant increase in the scope of what Anderson is up to. Anderson’s last film, Licorice Pizza, was a tale of growing up in Southern California in the 1970s, and cost a reported $40 million to produce. (Inherent Vice and Phantom Thread cost $20 million and $35 million, respectively.)
Still, whatever Anderson is doing, it should be interesting. Pretty much everything he has made to date has ranged from good to brilliant; there isn’t a dud in the bunch.
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