EXCLUSIVE: Sean Penn In Talks For ‘Inherent Vice'

With its huge cast of 20+ characters, "Inherent Vice" is shaping up to be PTA's most star-studded effort since "Magnolia" back in 1999. After that film, PTA's ensembles began to feature a few stars at the center supported by less recognizable faces, eschewing his '90s ensemble of players for performers who could lend his films a more grounded realism. (PDL: Sandler, Watson & Hoffman, TWBB: Day-Lewis & Dano, The Master: Phoenix, Hoffman & Adams.) But after three features in that mode, his latest appears to be another left turn, with star after star joining the project. Let's run down the cast so far: Joaquin Phoenix, Owen Wilson, Benicio Del Toro, Reese Witherspoon, Jena Malone, Martin Short and Kevin O'Connor. Though its likely the remainder of the roles have been locked for weeks, PTA and co. have been keeping any official announcements completely under wraps. So in lieu of a press release, we've had to do a little digging and come back with some pretty huge news.

We first heard the whispers online and have now gotten word from a source close to production that Sean Penn may be joining the film in an as-yet-undisclosed role. If we were to take a guess, we'd say it's likely Penn is being targeted for Adrian Prussia, a powerful loan shark known to get violent when not compensated properly. This is especially exciting news for those longtime C&RV readers who will remember that Penn was originally supposed to play the role of Dean Trumbell in "Punch-Drunk Love" with Philip Seymour Hoffman and John C. Reilly originally slated to play two of the brothers. But Penn was forced to drop out of the film, Hoffman took the role and a PTA-Penn collaboration had to be put on hold for a decade. Filming on 'Vice' is set to get underway very shortly so there should be some more casting announcements yet to come. And if you're involved with the production, why don't you drop us a line?

Fun facts: Sean will be the third fourth member of the Penn family to work with PTA. Sean's brother Michael Penn was responsible for the scores for "Hard Eight" (along with Jon Brion) and "Boogie Nights" (and is married to Aimee Mann), their late brother actor Chris Penn starred in the elusive "Flagpole Special" short back in 1998 and their mother Eileen Ryan appeared in "Magnolia" as Mary.

Stay tuned to Twitter and Facebook for the latest news and updates.
"The Master" is now available on Blu-ray and DVD. 

Reese Witherspoon, Martin Short & Jena Malone Join ‘Inherent Vice'

Filming set to get underway on "Inherent Vice" in just under 2 weeks but despite a huge ensemble of around 25 players, we've only gotten word of a handful of actors attached so far: Joaquin Phoenix, Owen Wilson, Benicio Del Toro and Kevin J. O'Connor. Rumors have swirled in the last few weeks as to who would take the female lead. Charlize Theron had supposedly been interested in the part (and PTA likewise interested to work with her) but we posited back in February that would be out of the running due to her commitments to Seth MacFarlane's western and the highly anticipated adaptation of "Dark Places." It was also rumored that Kirsten Dunst (who PTA had recommended to Lars Von Trier for the part in "Melancholia") might be circling the role since she too had expressed an interest in working with PTA.

It would appear that both of those actresses are now out of the running as Deadline reports that Reese Witherspoon -- who's been picking up projects left and right these past few weeks -- has signed on. Though her role isn't specified, we're gonna take a leap here and say that she's probably going to be playing Shasta Fay Hepworth, Doc's (Phoenix) ex-girlfriend who sets the story in motion by asking for Doc’s help in investigating a plot and ends up going missing soon after. C&RV readers will recall that Witherspoon had previously been attached back in 2010 to the role of Peggy Dodd (back when the character's name was Mary Sue) in an earlier incarnation of "The Master" that never came to be. But it looks like PTA and Witherspoon will finally get to work together and also allow her to re-unite with her "Walk The Line" co-star Phoenix.

Update 9:55pm: In addition to Witherspoon, Jeff Sneider at The Wrap (who it should be noted has broken about 90% of the casting on this movie), reports that Martin Short and Jena Malone have also joined the film in supporting roles. Malone will play the part of Japonica Fenway, a free-spirited hippie chick who was the subject of Doc's first-ever paying case when she ran away from home. Short's role is still unclear but it's possible he could be playing Japonica's father Crocker Fenway, who hires Doc to investigage her disappearance or perhaps another role entirely. For those of you who have read the novel, who do you think Short might be playing? Sound off in the comments below. This is shaping up to be a really interesting cast seeing as only Phoenix and O'Connor have previously worked with PTA before. Filming on 'Vice' is set to get underway in the next few weeks so there should be lots more casting announcements to come. And if you're involved with the production, why don't you drop us a line?

Stay tuned to Twitter and Facebook for the latest news and updates.
"The Master" is now available on Blu-ray and DVD. 

Owen Wilson In Talks For ‘Inherent Vice'

We did not see this one coming. According to The Wrap (who are now definitely on a roll breaking casting stories), Owen Wilson is in talks for an unspecified role for "Inherent Vice." Like Del Toro, O'Connor and even Phoenix for that matter, nothing is confirmed yet. Though its likely all the key roles have been locked for weeks, none have been announced in any kind of official capacity. The Wrap does indicate Wilson's role is one of the leads, so who do you think Wilson might be playing?

Update 9:10pm: We have spoken with a source close to production who informs us that Wilson will be playing the character of Coy Harlingen, a surf-saxophone player for a band called The Boards. In the book, Coy was rumored to be dead of a heroin over-dose but is indeed a central character that appears throughout the entire story.

Wilson (a screenwriter himself on Wes Anderson's first 3 films) went on record circa 2006 to express his admiration for PTA saying, “I loved Punch-Drunk Love. It revved me up to write something. It’s a simple story but it proves it’s all in the details.” Is he the first actor since Gwyneth Paltrow to appear in both a Paul Thomas Anderson and Wes Anderson film? Filming on 'Vice' is set to get underway later this month so there should be lots more casting announcements to come. And if you're involved with the production, why don't you drop us a line?

Stay tuned to Twitter and Facebook for the latest news and updates.
"The Master" is now available on Blu-ray and DVD.  

Benicio Del Toro In For ‘Inherent Vice'

Well, it looks like we aren't the only ones dropping "Inherent Vice" casting news today. The Wrap is now reporting that Benicio Del Toro may be joining the film as well (though the studio has yet to confirm his involvement). According to the report Del Toro will be playing "an attorney who's always trying to help the protagonist out of trouble, though he's not an actual criminal lawyer. The character isn't a major role but is expected to be a potential scene-stealer" which would seem to indicate he'll be playing Doc's lawyer, Sauncho Smilax. His leading role in the underrated "Che" aside, it's been a while since we've seen Del Toro really tear into a really great role like his brilliant late 90s/early 00s streak ("Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas," "Traffic," "21 Grams," "The Usual Suspects," etc.), so this is definitely exciting news. It will be Del Toro's first time working with PTA and somewhat surprisingly, also his first time acting in a film alongside Joaquin Phoenix. Filming on 'Vice' is set to get underway later this month so there should be lots more casting announcements to come. And if you're involved with the production, why don't you drop us a line?

EXCLUSIVE: Kevin J. O'Connor To Re-Team With ‘The Master' Co-Star Joaquin Phoenix For ‘Inherent Vice'

Chicago-born character actor Kevin J. O'Connor has been kicking around Hollywood for quite some time and along the way has racked up an impressive resume working with the likes of Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Altman and of course, Paul Thomas Anderson. PTA cast the chameleon-like O'Connor in his last two films as a character who is eventually beaten mercilessly by the leading man (alternately Daniel Day-Lewis and Joaquin Phoenix). Why do we bring this up? Well, we have received word that O'Connor is set to re-team with PTA once again to film an as yet unspecified role in "Inherent Vice" where the actor will join the esteemed ranks of John C. Reilly, Philip Baker Hall and Luis Guzmán in the PTA Three-Timers Club. For those who have read the book, do you have any guesses for who O'Connor might be playing (and does that character at some point get beaten within an inch of their life)? Leave your guesses in the comments. Filming on 'Vice' is set to get underway later this month so there should be lots more casting announcements to come. And if you're involved with the production, why don't you drop us a line?

Stay tuned to Twitter and Facebook for the latest news and updates.
"The Master" is now available on Blu-ray and DVD.    

Speculation: Is ‘Inherent Vice' Looking To Cast Big Names?

Treat this as not quite a rumor but just some speculation on our part. We know that PTA's adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's "Inherent Vice" is getting ready for a late April/early May start date, assuming the financing falls into place and/or PTA doesn't decide to postpone. Last month, it was reported that Robert Downey Jr. was still attached to the lead role of Doc Sportello (as had first been reported back in December of 2010) and that Charlize Theron (who PTA had mentioned wanting to work with) was also circling a role. Now it appears that both of those options are off the table with Downey Jr. likely in the middle of his "Iron Man 3" promotional duties in early May when the film opens and Charlize booking a role that shoots in that same window.

Two weeks ago it was reported that Joaquin Phoenix will be taking over the lead role and recent public appearances would suggest this has been in the works for quite some time. The question is: who will join him? Unless he's just doing some artful dodging, Philip Seymour Hoffman says sitting this one out, making this just the second PTA film he doesn't appear in. And while we should be getting some definitive answers on that in the next month or two, we thought we'd use this time to do a little speculating and draw your attention to something that costume designer Mark Bridges said about getting ready for the film.

Philip Seymour Hoffman Says As Of Now He's Not In ‘Inherent Vice'

If all goes according to plan, "Inherent Vice" will be starting to film within the next 3 months which means that casting announcements should be coming very soon. While it appears that Charlize may no longer be attached to the film (if she ever was) due to 2 other conflicting engagements -- "A Million Ways To Die In The West" and "Dark Places" both of which film in the window where 'Vice' looks to shoot -- Joaquin looks to be a lock. Recent pictures show the actor is in the process of growing out his Doc Sportello hair. Will he be reunited with his "The Master" co-star? It doesn't look like it. Friend of the site Katie Calautti had a chance to sit down with Philip Seymour Hoffman and Christopher Walken for Huffington Post to promote their new film, "A Late Quartet," and naturally the conversation turned to 'Vice.'