Paul Thomas Anderson Says He Hopes To Shoot 'Inherent Vice' Next Year, Drawing Inspiration From 'The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers'

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by Oliver Lyttelton
December 27, 2012 12:45 PM
16 Comments

Paul Thomas Anderson might be one of the most lauded and devoutly-followed filmmakers working today, but he's hardly been Mr. Prolific of late; three films in the last decade in "Punch Drunk Love," "There Will Be Blood," and this year's "The Master," each one made five years apart. But with the latter long since in theaters (some calling it the best movie of 2012, others expressing disappointment), Anderson's looking to the future, and suggesting that we might have a shorter wait for his next movie.

In an expansive interview with the New York Times about the making of "The Master," Anderson talks about the future, confirming that his next film, as long expected, will be an adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's "Inherent Vice," with the paper revealing that the writer-director has "a large stack of pages" from the script, and that he plans to get before cameras next year.

We've known that his adaptation of the counter-culture noir from the "Gravity's Rainbow" author -- the first authorized adaptation of one of the writer's works -- has been on the way for a while, with Megan Ellison's Annapurna Pictures, who were also behind "The Master," backing the film. But Anderson says that we should expect a more faithful adaptation than "There Will Be Blood" was of Upton Sinclair's "Oil!," saying of the adaptation process "It's more secretarial. The credit should be like 'secretary to the author'... but it's no less fun. In some ways it's just what the doctor ordered right now for me: being more selfless."

But Anderson won't confirm the Times' suggestion that Pynchon might be directly collaborating on the work, saying that "I would get dangerously close to betraying trust." But the indication is certainly there that Pynchon's involved in some capacity. And the filmmaker seems to be drawing inspiration from other sources too, saying that he's found a "research bible," in the shape of Gilbert Shelton's famous underground comic "The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers," which was first published around the same time that "Inherent Vice" is set.

What isn't clear right now is if Robert Downey Jr, who was initially reported as being involved with the project, is still attached; the megastar is expected to shoot "The Judge" in the near future, but he could squeeze it in between before further "The Avengers" and "Sherlock Holmes" movies towards the end of next year, if Anderson sticks to his date. Either way, it's exciting to know that we could be getting another PTA joint as soon as the end of 2014.

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16 Comments

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Jandro | December 29, 2012 10:32 AMReply

RDJ nooooooooooooooooo....never...out!! out here RDJ..."tu no eres" Doc Sportello. My names: Phonenix, Franco, Bardem. Come on PTA...!! Lets go!
Tyrone Slothrop | December 28, 2012 12:24 AMReply

Boo. Where's my attention?
The Adenoid | December 28, 2012 2:57 AM

Shut up and get back to still never finishing "Gravity's Rainbow."
t-rex | December 27, 2012 7:34 PMReply

lol guys why not joaquin phoenix...i can see adrien brody in that role too
goose | December 30, 2012 12:00 PM

i think that adrien has what it takes to do it
hank | December 27, 2012 4:34 PMReply

DiCaprio has been confirmed as replacing Pynchon.
JJ | December 27, 2012 3:13 PMReply

It was supposed to be Robert Downey Jr. in the lead but I don't know if that still stands.
Dan | December 27, 2012 2:18 PMReply

Christian Bale please.
Chr | December 27, 2012 4:33 PM

Could be genius. Bale's comedic talent is massively underrated. His performances in American Psycho and The Fighter are hilarious. I'd bet he is gonna be funny as hell as Melvin Weinberg in David O. Russell's upcoming Abscam film.
DG | December 27, 2012 1:08 PMReply

Cant wait to see the Pynchon cameo that I don't know I'm seeing and will then realize was him a long time from now when they confirm it in his NYT obituary. My question for now is, will it be a musical?
Oogle monster | December 27, 2012 1:05 PMReply

I'd say he should finally get DiCaprio for this.
tyrannosaurus max | December 27, 2012 3:52 PM

holy shit; YER is PTA pulling a Thomas Pynchon on us!!!
yer | December 27, 2012 2:54 PM

Yea, that was pre 1998 back when PTA was a newbie director and DiCaprio hadn't turned into the mannered actor that he is. Modern day PTA would never, I repeat NEVER cast DiCaprio. It's just not going to happen. Move on.
A name | December 27, 2012 1:56 PM

YER you are an idiot. PTA would cast dicaprio especially if he was right for a role. And dicaprio was his first choice for dirk digger. YER, I figure you would know that since you are a devout follower. You are an idiot. You must have a small brain. Probably the smallest brain of all PTA fans. You have a brain the size of a new born child.
CARY | December 27, 2012 1:34 PM

@YER
Why not? Didn't he offer DiCaprio Wahlberg's role in Boogie Nights?
yer | December 27, 2012 1:25 PM

PTA would never cast DiCaprio. - Signed a devout follower.