As Paul Thomas Anderson gears up for his next film, Inherent Vice, the much discussed adaptation of Thomas Pynchon‘s novel, he’s also starting to put his cast together. For one, the film will star Robert Downey Jr. as Doc Sportello, the pot-smoking private eye who investigates a kidnapping mystery in 1969 Los Angeles. If RDJ’s involvement wasn’t enough to get you excited, now we’re hearing that Charlize Theron may be joining the film as well.
Nothing official yet on who she would play but most are guessing that it will be Sportello’s ex-girlfriend, who comes to the private eye seeking his help as her boyfriend has been kidnapped. Those who have read the book will know of its trippy nature and excellent soundtrack, two things that should translate very well to film under the gifted talents of Paul Thomas Anderson. Drawing comparisons to The Big Lebowski and Boogie Nights, Inherent Vice has many people excited, and with good reason it seems. It looks to be a bit of a departure from the director’s previous two films but it will no doubt be a welcome one.
Additionally, we’ve heard that more big names are being sought out for the film. For now though, all we have is Downey Jr. and Theron. Those two alone though are enough to get many a moviegoer into theatres. Knowing that PTA still has his eye on even more top talent just furthers our excitement for this one.
After giving us two of the decade’s best films with There Will Be Blood and The Master, not to mention giving us masterpieces like Boogie Nights and Magnolia back in the 90’s, anything that the director attaches himself to is well worth a look.
In the coming weeks you can expect to hear more on Inherent Vice but for now, let us know in the comments what you think of it so far and how it’s shaping up.