The Trailer For the Latest Paul Thomas Anderson Film has Finally Dropped
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With Bradley Cooper and Sean Penn, the master filmmaker channels a unique love for his hometown L.A. in his new film.
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The title, Licorice Pizza, refers to a popular record store chain in Southern California
The trailer for Licorice Pizza has finally dropped, marking the return to the big screen of celebrated filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson after a four-year hiatus.
Anderson's last film, Phantom Thread, was released in 2017 and gathered six Academy Award nominations including Best Director and Best Picture.
Licorice Pizza tells the story of two high school students, one of whom is a rising child actor, falling in love and the strenuous challenges their romantic pathway entails. The events take place in the San Fernando Valley during the 1970s and explore the minutiae of living in L.A. suburbs, where Anderson grew up and developed his affinity for filmmaking.
The couple is played by band singer Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman, son of late legendary actor and frequent Anderson collaborator Philip Seymour Hoffman, as the rising actor. Anderson’s trademark of bringing the best out of both novice and veteran actors is on full display, as Licorice marks the young actors’ feature film debut despite their performance not showing a sign of amateurism.
As is known with the Magnolia filmmaker, he attracts big names and thus the cast’s list includes the likes of Sean Penn, Bradley Cooper as an enraged filmmaker, Maya Rudolph, Ben Stiller, and director-actor Benny Safdie as a campaigning politician in addition to famed singer Tom Waits.
What is Licorice Pizza?
The peculiar title of the film is inspired by a popular record chain store in Southern California, which was well-known for tempting customers with free licorice, comfy sofas, endless music magazines to accompany the wide array of vinyl discs decorating the store.
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The famed record chain store
Licorice Pizza is set for a limited release on November 25 in the US, before receiving its wide release on December 25, Christmas day.
An official date for international release is yet to be declared.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s track record at the Oscars has been fascinating, with only two nominations for best director for There Will Be Blood (2007) and Phantom Thread (2017). Could Licorice Pizza score him a third nomination and a win after all? Could third time be truly the charm?
No matter the outcome, Anderson will always be one of the most influential and distinguished filmmakers of his generation.
