PT Anderson's on-again, off-again riff on Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard appears to be on again. And Joaquin Phoenix is joining the cast.
Titled The Master the film was initially set up in the studio system before backers got leery about the budget. Annapurna Productions and River Road Entertainment are backing it now but, last we heard, stars Jeremy Renner and Philip Seymour Hoffman were both saying the project was on indefinite hold while some creative issues were worked out.
Apparently now they have been and producers are now in negotiations with Joaquin Phoenix to join the cast. It appears that Phoenix will be replacing Renner in the film, Renner being so highly in demand these days that the delay may have made the scheduling impossible for him to participate. Hoffman will be playing the titular Master - a character initially based to some degree on L Ron Hubbard - while Phoenix has been offered the part of Freddie Sutton, an alcoholic drifter who becomes Hoffman's right hand man.
Titled The Master the film was initially set up in the studio system before backers got leery about the budget. Annapurna Productions and River Road Entertainment are backing it now but, last we heard, stars Jeremy Renner and Philip Seymour Hoffman were both saying the project was on indefinite hold while some creative issues were worked out.
Apparently now they have been and producers are now in negotiations with Joaquin Phoenix to join the cast. It appears that Phoenix will be replacing Renner in the film, Renner being so highly in demand these days that the delay may have made the scheduling impossible for him to participate. Hoffman will be playing the titular Master - a character initially based to some degree on L Ron Hubbard - while Phoenix has been offered the part of Freddie Sutton, an alcoholic drifter who becomes Hoffman's right hand man.
Awesome news. I'm a fan of Joaquin's, but when I buy my ticket to see this, it'll be because it's an Anderson/Hoffman collab. Anderson seems to bring out the best in him, whether he's making me laugh (Jesus, was he funny in PDL) or jerking on my tears (see: Magnolia - THAT is acting).