Inherent Vice

THE PLOT

"Inherent Vice," is the seventh feature from Paul Thomas Anderson and the first ever film adaptation of a Thomas Pynchon novel.

When private eye Doc Sportello's ex-old lady suddenly out of nowhere shows up with a story about her current billionaire land developer boyfriend whom she just happens to be in love with, and a plot by his wife and her boyfriend to kidnap that billionaire and throw him in a looney bin... well, easy for her to say.

It's the tail end of the psychedelic 60's and paranoia is running the day and Doc knows that "love" is another of those words going around at the moment like "trip" or "groovy" that's being way too overused - except this one usually leads to trouble. With a cast of characters that includes surfers, hustlers, dopers and rockers, a murderous loan shark, LAPD detectives, a tenor sax player working undercover and a mysterious entity known as the Golden Fang, which may only be a tax dodge set up by some dentists. Part surf noir, part psychedelic romp - all Thomas Pynchon.

THE CREW

Written for the Screen and Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

Based on the novel by Thomas Pynchon

Produced by Paul Thomas Anderson, Daniel Lupi, Joanne Sellar

Production Design by David Crank

Costumes by Mark Bridges

Music by Jonny Greenwood

Cinematography by Robert Elswit

Editing by Leslie Jones

Studio Warner Bros., Ghoulardi Film Company

Distributed by Warner Bros.

Release date(s) December 12, 2014 (limited), January 9, 2015 (wide)

THE CAST

Joaquin Phoenix as Larry "Doc" Sportello

Katherine Waterston as Shasta Fay Hepworth

Reese Witherspoon as Penny Kimball

Owen Wilson as Coy Harlingen

Benicio Del Toro as Sauncho Smilax

Jena Malone as Hope Harlingen

Peter McRobbie as Adrian Prussia 

Martin Short as Dr. Rudy Blatnoyd

Sasha Pieterse as Japonica Fenway

Josh Brolin as Bigfoot Bjornsen

Maya Rudolph as Petunia Leeway

Hong Chau as Jade

Yvette Yates as Luz

Jeannie Berlin as Aunt Reet

Jordan Christian Hearn as Denis

Timothy Simons as Agent Borderline

Keith Jardine as Puck Beaverton

Sam Jaeger as Jason Flatweed

Michael Cotter as Rhus Farthington

Eric Roberts as Mickey Wolfmann

Michael Kenneth Williams as Tariq Khalil

Michelle Sinclair as Clancy Charlock

Elaine Tan as Xandra

Jillian Bell as Chlorinda

Jefferson Mays as Dr. Threeply

Martin Donovan as Crocker Fenway

Joanna Newsom as Sortilège

Serena Scott Thomas as Sloane Wolfmann
Andrew Simpson as Riggs Warbling
Christopher Allen Nelson as Glen Charlock
Jack Kelly as Burke Stodger

THE TRAILERS

INHERENT VICE - THEATRICAL TRAILER #1


'SPOTTED DICK' TRAILER FOR UK SCREENING (Cut by PTA)

"PARANOIA" TRAILER FOR NATIONAL SCREENINGS

THE POSTERS

THE SOUNDTRACK ART

THE MOVIE TIE-IN ART

THE TIMELINE

12/9/14

Warner Bros rolls out a new trailer advertising national screenings for 12/13. 

12/7/14

New clips and cast interviews for Inherent Vice roll out.

12/5/14

PTA wins Best Adapted Screenplay award from The National Board of Review

12/4/14

A flurry of new stills and behind-the-scenes photos from Inherent Vice are revealed.

12/3/14

The Arclight announces first 70mm engagements for Inherent Vice.

12/2/14

Martin Short promotes Inherent Vice on The Tonight Show, presents a scene from the film.

11/26/14

New banner poster for Inherent Vice arrives.

11/24/14

Josh Brolin and Katherine Waterston talk Inherent Vice in 30-minute interviews on DP30.

11/19/14

Ace Hotel hosts advanced screening of Vice, announces exclusive limited-edition vinyl pressings of the soundtrack.

11/17/14

PTA-cut trailer for special UK screening of Vice arrives via Al Rose Promotions youtube channel.

11/17/14

Soundtrack details and new banner poster arrive for Inherent Vice.

11/10/14

PTA hosts screening of documentary Mondo Hollywood at AFI Fest.

10/30/14

Movie tie-in cover art for new pressing of Inherent Vice novel arrives.

10/27/14

Paul Thomas Anderson's hour-long masterclass from the New York Film Festival arrives online.

10/15/14

Inherent Vice sets screening at AFI Fest in Los Angeles.

10/04/14

Inherent Vice has world premiere at the 52nd New York Film Festival.

09/29/14

First teaser trailer and posters for Inherent Vice arrive.

09/26/14

PTA gives first interview on Inherent Vice in The New York Times; new image of Benicio Del Toro arrives.

09/24/14

First look at Reese Witherspoon as Penny Kimball in Inherent Vice arrives, Brolin speaks more; killer illustration for the film published in The New Yorker.

09/10/14

Trailer for NYFF shares first public footage of Inherent Vice.

09/06/14

NYFF announces PTA will host a masterclass discussion the day after "Vice" premiere.

09/04/14

Katherine Waterston, Sasha Pieterse discuss the film, first images of Waterston as Shasta Fay emerge.

09/02/14

Inherent Vice receives R rating from MPAA.

08/24/14

Empire Magazine posts first look at Benicio Del Toro as Sauncho Smilax in Inherent Vice.

08/23/14

NYFF director Kent Jones shares new image of Joaquin Phoenix as Doc Sportello in Inherent Vice.

08/16/14

Katherine Waterston and Josh Brolin discuss PTA's process in Entertainment Weekly.

08/14/14

First image of Josh Brolin as Bigfoot Bjornsen is published in Entertainment Weekly; Official running time listed at 148 minutes.

07/31/14

Benicio Del Toro discusses Inherent Vice with Collider.

07/25/14

Inherent Vice completes post-production; reactions continue to unfurl.

07/18/14

Inherent Vice sets world premiere for October 4th at 2014 New York Film Festival

06/20/14

Warner Bros. marketing chief Sue Kroll says Inherent Vice is a masterpiece.

06/17/14

Actress Jillian Bell discusses working on Inherent Vice, confirms actor Anders Holm has part in the film.

05/13/14

Inherent Vice receives wide-release expansion date of January 9, 2015. 

04/14/14

Industry insiders share glowing first reactions to Inherent Vice; film forgoes Cannes.

04/01/14

An image from an "Inherent Vice" mixing session with Jonny Greenwood shows the first official frame of Joaquin Phoenix as Doc Sportello.

02/25/14

Warner Bros. announces that Inherent Vice will open in theatres on December 12th, 2014.

02/06/14

Jonny Greenwood returns to score Inherent Vice, marking third feature-film project in a row with PTA.

10/24/13

Michael Kenneth Williams reportedly joins cast of Inherent Vice.

10/14/13

Eric Roberts announces he has filmed a part for the movie.

9/16/13

Josh Brolin refers to his experience working on Inherent Vice as "absolute fucking chaos."

9/06/13

Actor Michael Cotter shares his experience working on the film.

8/19/13

The film wraps principal photography; moves on to post-production.

8/07/13

Parenthood-star Sam Jaeger and surf band The Blank Tapes join the film; technical aspects revealed.

8/01/13

MMA-star Keith Jardine joins the cast of the film.

7/26/13

Video footage from the set of Inherent Vice hits the internet.

7/02/13

Timothy Simons joins the cast of the film in an unspecified role.

6/28/13

Peter McRobbie is cast as Adrian Prussia in the film; first-timer Jordan Christian Hearn joins as Denis.

6/19/13

Pretty Little Liars star Sasha Pieterse joins cast in unspecified role.

6/15/13

First look at Martin Short in the film emerges in extensive new batch of leaked photos from the set.

6/12/13

Jeannie Berlin, Yvette Yates, and Hong Chau join cast in supporting roles, Josh Brolin's role revealed to be that of Bigfoot Bjornsen, production's location and shooting status unveiled.

6/04/13

First images from set of Inherent Vice surface, reveal Maya Rudolph has joined cast.

5/30/13

Up-and-comer Katherine Waterston nabs female lead, Shasta Fay Hepworth, in Inherent Vice.

5/30/13

Inherent Vice officially enters principal photography, marking the shortest timespan between films for PTA since Boogie Nights and Magnolia were released in 1997 and 1999 respectively.

5/28/13

Josh Brolin becomes the latest to join the film's star-studded cast.

5/24/13

Filmmaker James Gray claims the film has started shooting during a press conference at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.

5/18/13

We break the news that Sean Penn is in talks for a role in the film noting that the actor previously came close to working with PTA a decade prior on "Punch-Drunk Love."

5/15/13

Reese Witherspoon, Martin Short & Jena Malone all join the cast. All three are PTA first-timers though Reese came close to appearing in "The Master."

5/9/13

Owen Wilson joins the cast, marking just the second time an actor has appeared in both a PTA and Wes Anderson film (the first was Gwyneth Paltrow).

5/6/13

Benicio Del Toro and Kevin J. O'Connor join the cast.

4/30/13

We break the news that Warner Bros. will be financing the film which will begin shooting in May. We also confirm that Robert Elswit will be returning as DP.

4/26/13

We receive word that the PTA is meeting with actors for the film confirming it is indeed in pre-production. 

4/16/13

Robert Downey Jr. says PTA told him he was too old for the role, hopes to work together in the future.

2/11/13

Production Designer Jack Fisk ("There Will Be Blood," "The Master") says he won't be working on the film while his partner David Crank confirms he'll be taking over production duties. Crank also reveals the film is set in March/April of 1970.

2/7/13

Costume designer Mark Bridges tells us he's been looking at the star-studded 1968 film "Candy" as an inspiration for the film which he's already started work on. "There’s a film called “Candy” [a 1968 satire starring Marlon Brando, Richard Burton, Walter Matthau, John Huston, James Coburn, Ringo Starr and Charles Aznavour] -- as well as other films that I’ve been looking at -- that are satires but they’re broad and they have very iconic people in them. So I’m playing with that idea in my mind, whether that’s something that Paul’s going to want to latch onto, [I’m not sure]."

2/6/13

Philip Seymour Hoffman says he won't be in the film marking the second time the actor has sat out a PTA film (the other being "There Will Be Blood").

1/29/13

Producer JoAnne Sellar says they hope to start filming in late April/early May 2013.

1/24/13

Joaquin Phoenix joins the film taking over for Downey Jr. as lead Larry "Doc" Sportello.

1/8/13

Showbiz 411 reports that Charlize Theron is eyeing a role in the film and that Robert Downey Jr. is still attached. Both turn out to be false.

12/27/12

PTA tells the NY Times he hopes to shoot 'Vice' in 2013, says it will be a more faithful adaptation than "There Will Be Blood." 

10/12/12

PTA tells Sirius XM that the hardest thing about the adaptation is turning 400 great pages from the book and turning them into 100-120 script pages.  

9/3/12

PTA compares 'Vice' to "a 'Cheech & Chong' movie," says he hopes to film it next.

2/19/11

Rumors swirl that 'Vice' might film first due to a Fall opening in Downey Jr.'s schedule. 

2/11/11

Both "The Master" and "Inherent Vice" reportedly get financing from Annaupurna Pictures. It's unclear which film will lense first.

12/2/10

Project is first announced. PTA has already begun adapting the Thomas Pynchon novel with the author's approval. Robert Downey Jr. is supposedly interested in the lead, stoned P.I. "Doc" Sportello.