Director Paul Thomas Anderson will return to the 1970s for his next film

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Ever since director Paul Thomas Anderson began his illustrious film career with 1996's HARD EIGHT, he's dazzled the cinema landscape with a various array of topics, everything from oddball religions (THE MASTER), to oil barons (THERE WILL BE BLOOD), to the fashion world of 1950s London (PHANTOM THREAD). A master storyteller, his films are never easy to define and represent a unique voice in cinema. Well it appears as if the two time Oscar nominated director has finally set his sights on a new project.

Paul Thomas Anderson's next movie will once again be set in the 1970s and in the San Fernando Valley where Anderson grew up. Three of Anderson's previous films – BOOGIE NIGHTS, MAGNOLIA, and PUNCH DRUNK LOVE – all took place in that particular locale. Anderson's film does not yet have a title but the movie reportedly “will be centered on a high school student who is also a successful child actor. The project features a multitude of roles and could be ensemble in nature or have intersecting storylines.”

Color me intrigued. The INHERENT VICE director's new film sounds very much in the mode of MAGNOLIA and I'm interested to see his take on the complex world of childhood actors. That particular topic has received much attention in the last several years with Corey Haim making allegations of childhood sexual abuse and Modern Family''s actress Ariel Winter's own family struggles. Most recently, actor Shia LaBeouf delved deep into the subject with the critically acclaimed HONEY BOY. (You can read Chris Bumbray's review right here.) It's safe to say the subject matter is rife with dramatic opportunities.

Currently, no actors or actresses are attached to Anderson's project but man I would love to see William H. Macy, Julianne Moore, and John C. Reilly return to the fold.

Principal photography on the untitled film begins February 2020.