Until now, Paul Thomas Anderson had kept details of his latest film under wraps, only revealing that it was a 1970s-era coming-of-age film featuring Alana Haim (of HAIM fame), Cooper Hoffman (the son of late actor Philip Seymour Hoffman), and Bradley Cooper. Finally, the acclaimed director has revealed the film’s title — Licorice Pizza — as well as the first trailer.
Based on the two-and-a-half minute teaser, Haim and Hoffman are clearly the lead players in the film. The plot seems to revolve around Hoffman’s character, a high school student and aspiring actor, and his relationship with Haim. It’s all set in San Fernando Valley during the 1970s, which immediately calls to mind Anderson’s classic film Boogie Nights. Appropriately, the trailer for Licorice Pizza — which takes its name from a former Los Angeles record store — is soundtracked by David Bowie’s “Life on Mars?”.
Licorice Pizza stars Cooper and Benny Safdie portraying two real-life figures: Cooper as film producer Jon Peters and Benny Safdie as the politician Joel Wachs. The cast also includes Tom Waits (!), Sean Penn, Christopher Walken, John C. Reilly, Ben Stiller, and Anderson’s wife, Maya Rudolph, among others in as-yet-undisclosed roles.
Licorice Pizza is set to open in select theaters on November 26th before receiving a wide release later in the year.
