Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master has begun filming in Vallejo, California a few days earlier than the expected June 13th start and producer
JoAnne Sellar has let slip that the religious cult film is expected to open in late 2012. All being well, that would be mean an Awards season 2012 release and with the subject matter and the talent on board here, all with a history with the Academy, we would expect it to be challenging in multiple categories. Speaking to
Vallejo Times-Herald, the producer played down the part of Scientology in the film saying Its a World War II drama. Its about a drifter after World War II. but it's hard not to see what PTA was getting at with the earlier drafts.
Phillip Seymour Hoffman stars as the charismatic Lancaster Dodd who upon returning to America from the horrors of WWII creates his own religion, a fictional Scientology-esque cult, seducing a former alcoholic (
Joaquin Phoenix) as his apprentice. Multiple Oscar nominated
Amy Adams plays Dodd's wife and there is supporting roles for
Jesse Plemons, David Warshofsky, Laura Dern, Lena Endre, Rami Malek and
Madisen Beaty. Security is said to be tight on the closed set but we do know it will continue through June to shoot in Vallejo before moving to L.A. The article also includes a small image of vintage cars parked on a residential street and some production equipment with the caption; "Crews film with vintage cars lining Winslow Street in Crockett, Calif., on June 3, 2011."
It's been three and a half years since PTA unleashed the incredible
There Will Be Blood on us and after all the trouble PTA had getting this film off the ground, we are just happy to see that filming has officially started on what for us at least is one of the most exciting films in development right now. (story via PTA fansite
Cigarettes & Red Vines)