Paul Thomas Anderson's Religious Film, "The Master," Seeks Funding

Movie News

Paul Thomas Anderson's Religious Film Seeks Funding

By our guest blogger, Matt Jussim

"There Will Be Blood" and "Magnolia" writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson is in talks with River Road Entertainment to lock down $35 million worth of financing on his new religion-based film, "The Master."

According to Deadline NY: Paul Thomas Anderson’s new drama, “The Master,” was dropped by Universal because of its $35 million budget, but there are serious talks for Bill Pohlad’s River Road to fully finance the film.

Set in the 1950s, the film stars Phillip Seymour Hoffman as a charismatic intellectual who hatches a faith-based organization that begins to catch on.  Jeremy Renner of "The Hurt Locker" is circling the role of a young drifter who becomes his right hand man but begins to question his mentor and the whole belief thing.

Universal Pictures was attached to produce and distribute the feature but has dropped out. If River Road does come onboard, it's quite possible that prestige indie distributor Apparition could release the film, as Bill Pohlad owns River Road and co-founded Apparition.

It’s crazy that a filmmaker with a body of work like Paul Thomas Anderson can’t get the financing he needs. I understand that his films mostly aren’t huge box office smashes, but with his quality of work, his next film could easily be the next Best Picture winner.

I hope things will work out for him because Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Jeremy Renner are two of my favorite actors, and the thought of them pairing with Anderson gets me excited.

Look for “The Master” to get the money it needs and start shooting this year.