Oscar nominee Paul Thomas Anderson (Phantom Thread) is well-known for building ensemble casts in his projects and now the writer/director is already looking to start big with his next project by entering talks with fellow Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born) to star, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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The untitled film, which Anderson is set to write, direct and produce through his Ghoulardi Film Company banner, is set to follow a high school student as he struggles to balance his education with his life as a successful child actor. Sources report that casting is currently underway to find the lead and that the project is set to feature a large array of roles that may add up to an ensemble piece with intersecting storylines.
The eight-time Oscar nominated writer/director will be returning to his west coast roots for the movie, having grown up in the San Fernando Valley and first attended Santa Monica College before briefly attending Emerson University in Boston, Massachusetts and New York University. The project is set to be one of 13 films shooting in The Golden State.
After his well-received directorial debut Hard Eight, Anderson brought his stories back to his homeland with 1997’s historical drama surrounding the porn industry Boogie Nights, 1999’s LA-set epic Magnolia and 2002’s romantic black comedy Punch-Drunk Love starring Adam Sandler in a rare dramatic role. The films featured communities across the San Fernando Valley including Sherman Oaks, Encino and Tarzana.
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The filmmaker made his debut overseas with his last film, the 2017 period drama Phantom Thread. Set in the couture industry in 1950s London and eccentric fashion designer Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day Lewis), production took place in Lythe, England, United Kingdom. It went on to earn six Oscar nominations and winning one for costume design.
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