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.

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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?

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"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?

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"The Master" is now available on Blu-ray and DVD.