Hurray! PTA’s scientology take-down movie THE MASTER finds home

Deadline are reporting that Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood, Magnolia) is close to securing funding for his $35 million take-down of religious cults (specifically Scientology), widely expected to be titled The Master.

Red River have “serious interest” in financing the whole package which includes Phillip Seymour Hoffman as “The Master”, a charismatic and conniving version of L. Ron. Hubbard;

And Jeremy Renner, who is circling the supporting role of “Freddie”; the young drifter on the brink of ruining his life to raging alcoholism who becomes “The Master’s” apprentice.

And then of course there’s Anderson’s well-received controversial screenplay and his electric directorial talent….

Interestingly the “Freddie” role in a very early draft is written for an impressionable young twenty-something with a weak physicality, more to the liking of Eli Sunday in There Will Be Blood, whereas Renner himself is 39 and by all accounts, a commanding screen machismo.

However, the Oscar nominated Hurt Locker actor has considerable buzz right now and is unquestionably versatile. He has already under-gone a reported five meetings with Anderson for the part and in truth looks more like 29 than his actual age of 39; so I could buy him as a mid 20′s guy. I think. I can’t help but wonder however by the character description whether Renner’s Jesse James co-star Casey Affleck might be better suited, or would he himself be re-treading on old ground?

Universal passed on Anderson’s Oscar baiting athesits orgy after the failure of Paul Greengrass’ Iraqi war movie Green Zone (which today is being reported as a potential $40 million loss for them) reminded the studio that after Funny People ($71 million worldwide take on a hefty $75 million budget); they were no longer funding personal un-commercial passion projects.

The Master then quickly found a deal with Red River, who were previously the saving grace on Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life, and Doug Liman’s Fair Game which similarly couldn’t get studio backing, and once again it looks like it’s game-on which is fantastic news for all smart-minded movie-goers.