As far as contemporary filmmakers go, the career that Paul Thomas Anderson has had to date certainly places him amongst some of cinema’s greatest and most influential. With a range of beautifully shot, expertly crafted tales ranging from the 1980s California porn industry (Boogie Nights) to the very dark side of the early days of America’s oil boom (There Will Be Blood), Anderson has amassed a devoted fanbase over the years and collected 6 Oscar nominations in the process.
Though Anderson’s last non-documentary feature – 2014’s Inherent Vice – was praised by numerous critics and nominated for 2 Oscars, it received a somewhat mixed reception from fans. Since that time, those who follow Anderson’s career have been patiently waiting for a follow up, as the director ventured into documentary filmmaking with 2015’s Junun, in addition to several music videos from acclaimed artists like Joanna Newsom and Radiohead.
It’s now only been a matter of months since we learned a little about PT Anderson’s next project, but with CinemaCon just finishing up in Las Vegas, Focus Features has announced that not only is Anderson’s upcoming 1950s fashion drama still untitled, but that it officially has a release date scheduled for Christmas Day 2017. The film will be released domestically through Focus Features and its initial holiday release date will likely be a limited theatrical run, before being released nationwide at a later date in January 2018.
This new project will mark the first time that Anderson and Oscar-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis have worked together since There Will Be Blood. Day-Lewis won the best actor Oscar for his portrayal of the brutal-minded Daniel Plainview in that film, so a return to Anderson’s world could hopefully stir up yet another award winning performance. So far what we know of the upcoming movie is that its working title is reportedly Phantom Thread; that it is currently shooting in London; and based on a thin synopsis, the film explores the world of the London fashion industry of the 1950s, particularly in its efforts to “illuminate the life behind the curtain of an uncompromising dressmaker”.
These pieces of information may not be enough to excite the average filmgoer, but fans of PT Anderson should be feeling comfortable with what is known thus far. Though the synopsis doesn’t fill us in on much, there’s every reason to believe that Anderson is more than capable of taking such a topic and sending his audience on a rich and satisfying journey. After all, the initial synopsis for There Will Be Blood detailed nothing more than the life of a turn of the century prospector, in the early days of the oil business.
Lastly, in addition to Daniel Day-Lewis, Anderson’s upcoming film will also star Lesley Manville (Maleficent), Vicky Krieps (Colonia) and newcomer Sarah Lamesch. Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood, whose work on the soundtrack for There Will Be Blood was an essential component of that film, will score the movie’s original soundtrack. The information currently available on this project may be slim, but taken together there’s already ample reason to believe that P.T. Anderson is indeed putting something together that’s worth paying attention to.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s untitled fashion drama will premiere on Christmas Day 2017.
Source: Focus Features
