Top 100 Most Anticipated Films of 2012: #3. Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master

#03. The Master

Director/Writer: Paul Thomas Anderson
Producers: Anderson, Annapurna Pictures’ Megan Ellison (Wettest County), Daniel Lupi (There Will Be Blood), Ghoulardi Film Company’s JoAnne Sellar (she has been producing for PTA since Boogie Nights).
Distributor: The Weinstein Co.

The Gist: Set in America in the years following World War II, a charismatic intellectual (Philip Seymour Hoffman) launches a faith-based organization and taps a young drifter (Phoenix) as his right-hand man. But as the faith begins to gain a fervent following, the onetime vagabond finds himself questioning the belief system he has embraced, and his mentor. The drama explores the need to believe in a higher power, the choice of which one to embrace and the point at which a belief system graduates into a religion….(more)

Cast: Amy Adams, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix and Laura Dern … Helen

List Worthy Reasons…: Firstly, the excellent Hoffman saddles back in with PTA and will be given more screen time than Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and Punch Drunk Love put together. Secondly, the tech crew is comprised of Mihai Malaimare Jr. who is using 65mm, Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood is laying the track, Production Designer David Crank (Tree of Life) and Jack Fisk are fitting this with a 50’s look. I’d have a hard time finding a more skilled American filmmaker than PTA (David Lynch needs to come out of retirement) – his impeccable track record speaks for itself. There will be plenty of award season kudos for this one and once a premiere date is announced, the buzz should be of biblical proportions.

Release Date/Status?: Well into post production, we have every reason to think that this would be ready for a Cannes showing – but betch your bottom dollar that the Weinstein Co. have award season in mind and no official release date set. Is this a Fall or Holiday release? TWBB was released on Dece.26th.