Bradley Cooper goes berserk, while everyone else is chill
After months of secret reveals and theatrical exclusive premieres, the trailer for Paul Thomas Anderson’s new movie Licorice Pizza is finally online, and full of all the wonderful vibes we were hoping for. Licorice Pizza stars Cooper Hoffman, son of frequent PTA collaborator Philip Seymour Hoffman, along with Alana Haim (from the band Haim), Sean Penn, Bradley Cooper, Tom Waits, and Uncut Gems co-director Benny Safdie. Licorice Pizza is set for theatrical release on Nov. 26.
Like most Paul Thomas Anderson movies, Licorice Pizza doesn’t seem to be concerned with a specific plot so much as it is with the vibes of a time and place and feeling. This time around it’s all about young love and growing up. The movie will follow Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman) as he meets his first love Alana Kane (Alana Haim), and they explore the San Fernando Valley of 1973. The trailer’s breakout star, however, might be Cooper, who reports suggest is playing Jon Peters, a hairdresser and longtime Hollywood character — who definitely wants you to know he’s dating Barbra Streisand.
To really bring the early ’70s feelings home, the entire trailer is underscored with David Bowie’s “Life on Mars?” which makes it feel equal parts fun and melancholy. While it’s a good sign for the soundtrack of Licorice Pizza, Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood is also set to compose the movie’s score, following his work on Anderson’s last four films.
Like most of the internet’s most darling directors, Anderson is an outspoken advocate for the theatrical experience, which is partially why he only gave the trailer for Licorice Pizza to a few specific theaters in select cities before it was released online on Monday. Since he went to such great lengths for just the trailer, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Licorice Pizza will only be available in theaters when it premieres this November.
[Polygon]
