THE MASTER IS STILL HERE

I like Jeremy Renner a lot, but I feel like Phoenix fits the description of wayward young man better.

For one, Renner isn't great for "young man", he's 40, and he's also strongest at playing streetwise alpha guys who don't really trust anyone beyond themselves, rather than open, impressionable types who might get caught up in the dealings of a charismatic preacher. Phoenix is only four years younger but to me he's always projected a kind of natural naivete and vulnerability that I feel like fits a lot better with what I understand of the concept of The Master.

I think Phoenix is amazing, but frankly, I was happy to see Renner attached to an honest to God film instead of something that would require him approving his likeness for an action figure.

That said, I'm in no matter what. If this happens, Anderson will cast the proper people, and I will be there to watch.

I would love to see PTA make both films in the near future.  I imagine Vice will happen whenever RDJ has a gap in his schedule.  With that in mind, I'm guessing he will be filming The Master first.

Well, RDJ starts shooting The Avengers soon (theoretically?), right? After that, he has no gigs aside from "Iron Man 3," which would HAVE to start shooting by next summer the latest, I imagine. I feel like if you have that sort of window of availability with him, you've got to jump on it, and shoot Inherent Vice in the later summer or fall this year.

Even though Vice's setting would require some immense set up, I'd imagine it would be a really quick shoot. PTA seems to navigate principle photography efficently and expediantly. He doesn't seem to have the bad luck of someone, like say Terry Gilliam, constantly has to deal with.

EDIT: Speaking of Inherent Vice, I've been trying to find a way to shoehorn this thought into a conversation, and I guess this is a good a time as any.

Since it's been reported that PTA was gotten Pynchon's blessing, and maybe even a little bit of collaboration, for the Vice's adaptation, wouldn't it be cool if PTA convinced him to make a cameo--publicly showing his face for the first time in over 50 years? And wouldn't it be even cooler  if we never knew about it?

Yeah, I figure The Master will end up being filmed second, unless PTA can get it in quickly before Downey is available.  Still, whatever happens, we are potentially looking at TWO new PTA films for 2012.  How awesome is that?!?!?!?!?

Even if one of them ends up getting delayed to a 2013 release, that's a badass timetable for the next two Anderson films considering his past.