Leonardo DiCaprio, Regina Hall, Sean Penn Join Paul Thomas Anderson’s Next Film

As usual when Paul Thomas Anderson has a new film in the works, rumors run rampant about the cast he’s putting together. That’s what happens when your first few movies are as stacked as Anderson’s tend to be, and that includes his most recent, Licorice Pizza. Well, it turns out many of the rumors are true, as Deadline reports Leonardo DiCaprio, Regina Hall, and Sean Penn will lead Anderson’s untitled movie.

Details on the project are few, but the story is said to involve a young Black girl training in martial arts. DiCaprio is expected to play her mentor, which is funny in and of itself. A huge ensemble is expected for this one, probably something like Anderson’s Boogie Nights, so expect a lot of casting news to drop. It’s unclear who will play the young girl at the center of the story, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Anderson reached out to an unknown about it.

This is a long time coming, this chance for Anderson and DiCaprio to finally work together. People might remember that DiCaprio was initially up for the Dirk Diggler role in Boogie Nights that went to Mark Wahlberg. Why? Because DiCaprio decided to do some movie called…let me see here…Titanic.

Travis Hopson
Travis Hopson has been reviewing movies before he even knew there was such a thing. Having grown up on a combination of bad '80s movies, pro wrestling, comic books, and hip-hop, Travis is uniquely positioned to geek out on just about everything under the sun. A vampire who walks during the day and refuses to sleep, Travis is the co-creator and lead writer for Punch Drunk Critics. He is also a contributor to Good Morning Washington, WBAL Morning News, and WETA Around Town. In the five minutes a day he's not working, Travis is also a voice actor, podcaster, and Twitch gamer. Travis is a voting member of the Critics Choice Association (CCA), Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA), and Late Night programmer for the Lakefront Film Festival.