The Title of Paul Thomas Anderson’s New Film Is Revealed

Slowly but surely, Paul Thomas Anderson is beginning to share the first trailer for his latest film in select locations. Premiering at London’s Prince Charles Cinema before screenings of American Graffiti and Beavis and Butt-Head Do America, the preview reveals the film’s title. Up until this point, the production title was Soggy Bottom. Now, we’ve learned that it will officially be called Licorice Pizza.

The first look was also revealed at the New Beverly in Los Angeles, between a double feature of Kiss Me Deadly and Repo Men. Audiences at The American Cinematheque in Los Feliz and The Aero in Santa Monica also got a taste of Licorice Pizza. The name comes from a chain of record stores that existed in Southern California during the 1970s. All the way back in November of 2019, we learned that Anderson’s next movie would be set in the ’70s and feature a high school-aged protagonist. Now, we’re one step closer to seeing his vision come to fruition.

It’s unknown when the trailer will get a wide release, but until then, we can rely on the word of mouth from those who have seen it. According to The Film Stage, one viewer described it as “youth and its pangs in a bygone time, wistful, a little melancholy, a little silly, strong Valley presence, Cooper and Penn taking big offbeat swings.”

We already knew that the film would star Philip Seymour Hoffman’s son, Cooper Hoffman, as well as Bradley Cooper, Alana Haim, Benny Safdie, Nate Mann, Skyler Gisondo, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Destry Allyn Spielberg, and Sean Penn. But reportedly, Tom Waits and Anderson’s longtime partner Maya Rudolph can also be glimpsed in the trailer.

Licorice Pizza is scheduled to arrive in theaters on November 26, 2021.