After working with Paul Thomas Anderson on his six Oscar nominated feature Phantom Thread, Focus Features is set to partner with the eight-time Oscar nominated filmmaker on his untitled 1970s High School Pic set in his San Fernando Valley stomping ground. Focus Features will distribute domestically, and Universal Pictures International will handle foreign distribution.

Reportedly Anderson’s new film will center around a high school student who is also a successful child actor. The pic is described as having intersecting storylines. It will rep the fourth time that Anderson has set a film in the San Fernando Valley, the last being Boogie Nights, Magnolia and Punch Drunk Love. The filmmaker’s Ghoulardi Film Company has already received a $2.5M California film tax credit.

Longtime collaborators JoAnne Sellar and Daniel Lupi will produce this new project along with Anderson.

Phantom Thread, which brought Anderson across the Pond to London for a period pic about a British fashion designer earned Oscar noms for Best Picture, Director for Anderson, Actor for Daniel Day-Lewis, Supporting Actress for Lesley Manville, Score for Jonny Greenwood and Costume Design for Mark Bridges, which he went on to win.

“There is simply no other filmmaker like Paul Thomas Anderson. He is a true original who consistently mesmerizes fans with unparalleled vision and storytelling. We are beyond thrilled to be teaming up once again with Paul, JoAnne and Daniel,” said Focus chairman Peter Kujawski.

Production is scheduled for Spring/Summer 2020 in California. Further details are still forthcoming according to the studio.

Apple goes on to call her romance with Anderson “painful and chaotic.” After they met, Anderson followed her to Hawaii where they “solidified” their relationship. Anyone who is familiar with Anderson’s work knows his “Punch-Drunk Love” protagonist Barry Egan (Adam Sandler) does the same thing with the love of his life, Lena Leonard (Emily Watson). Apple says, “I remember going to meet him at the bar at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, and he was laughing at me because I was marching around on what he called my ‘determined march to nowhere.’”

According to Apple, Anderson’s temper made their relationship difficult at times. Apple decided to stay with her dad after the 1998 Academy Awards because Anderson threw a chair across a room following the ceremony. Apple remembers telling herself, “Fuck this, this is not a good relationship.” Anderson was nominated for Best Original Screenplay for “Boogie Nights” but lost to Matt Damon and Ben Affleck for “Good Will Hunting.”

Apple also remembers a moment when Anderson was angry while driving her to volunteer work at U.C.L.A.’s occupational-therapy ward. Apple says Anderson shoved her out of his car, but he did not hit her. Nussbaum’s profile continues: “At parties, he’d hiss harsh words in her ear, calling her a bad partner, while behaving sweetly on the surface; she’d tear up, which, she thinks, made her look unstable to strangers.” Anderson did not return The New Yorker’s request for comment. IndieWire has reached out to Anderson’s team for further comment.

Apple’s new album does not have a release date yet. Anderson, meanwhile, is preparing to shoot his next film this year in Los Angeles. Read Apple’s full profile on The New Yorker’s website.

Artemis wrote: ↑

March 17th, 2020, 8:55 pm

Everyone is talking about coronavirus so that's why this went under the radar.

Anyway, what the fuck PTA?