Update: Currently going by Untitled Paul Thomas Anderson–– PTA’s next film, sometimes known as “Soggy Bottom,” is set for a wide release on December 25, 2021, following a limited debut on November 26, 2021 (via The Film Stage).
For months, all we’ve known about the new, upcoming Paul Thomas Anderson movie, was that it was set in the 1970s San Fernando Valley, and the film would follow a high school student, who is also a successful child actor. Then, Bradley Cooper’s appearance was revealed, and set photos have teased a “Shampoo”/Hal Ashby/Robert Altman-esque looking film, but details were still scarce. And the boy? Unknown, until now. THR reveals tonight that the lead actor in the film is Cooper Hoffman, the 17-year-old son of the late Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, who starred and appeared in many of Anderson’s films including “The Master,” and “Punch Drunk Love.”
Recently it was revealed that Benny Safdie, one half of the directing duo the Safdie brothers, who interviewed Anderson last year in an extensive podcast, had joined the film as well. THR adds more details too, including that the untitled film is a coming-of-age story at its center, but will involve multiple storylines, which gives credence to the Altman-esque qualities.
READ MORE: The Safdie Brothers And Paul Thomas Anderson Talk Darius Khondji And ‘Uncut Gems’
THR says while Cooper appears and there are multiple stories (perhaps ala “Magnolia”), Cooper is indeed the star. Alana Haim of the L.A. pop band Haim—Anderson has shot many of their music videos—was recently spotted on the set of the movie and the trade confirms her appearance in the cast as well in what sounds like the co-star alongside Hoffman.
READ MORE: Bradley Cooper To Star In Paul Thomas Anderson’s New 1970s SoCal Film
Philip Seymour Hoffman appeared in five of Anderson’s movies, including “Hard Eight,” “Boogie Nights” and “Magnolia,” and the three aforementioned movies. Originally a Focus Features movie, PTA’s untitled movie recently shifted to MGM earlier this year. Both the younger Hoffman and Haim sibling are making their feature-film acting debuts in the picture. No release date has been set, but given the movie just started shooting recently, sometime in 2021 seems like a good bet.