Paul Thomas Anderson is moving ahead with his next feature film, according to his trusted musical collaborator Jonny Greenwood.
The Oscar-winning filmmaker, who swept this year’s Academy Awards with his Thomas Pynchon adaptation One Battle After Another, has selected his next project and is building momentum, Greenwood revealed in an interview with ScreenDaily.
“I’m already trying to learn a new instrument that would be central to it,” said Greenwood, who has composed scores for every Anderson film since 2007’s There Will Be Blood.
The partnership between Anderson and Greenwood has become one of cinema’s most enduring creative alliances, producing unforgettable scores across the director’s diverse body of work.
When the interviewer suggested a new Anderson film seemed “not a possibility for a while”, Greenwood pushed back. “It may well not even be a while, but he had a few ideas and I think he’s chosen one and he seems to be gaining momentum again,” the Radiohead guitarist explained. “You think the [next] film is going to take years to do, and often they do. But then he turned Licorice Pizza around in a matter of months.”
The Speculation Begins
While Anderson has kept details under wraps, fans have been quick to hypothesise about what might follow his latest triumph. Much of the chatter centres on one particular rumour: a jazz epic starring Denzel Washington.
In 2024, Washington confirmed he had spoken with Anderson about a prospective collaboration, sparking speculation that the project could unfold amid Los Angeles’s “Little Harlem” jazz renaissance of the 1940s. It’s an idea that has trailed Anderson for years.
Actress Tiffany Haddish, who starred in Girls Trip, previously told IndieWire she had discussed a similar concept with the filmmaker. “You know how they got ‘Harlem Nights’?” she said. “I was like, ‘What if we did “South Central Nights”,’ like what South Central used to be? How LA was this place where you could come and be free, but it was still very segregated, and how that worked in the relationships, the interracial relationships, and all that dynamic?”
Anderson has also expressed a desire to reunite with Benicio del Toro, who appeared in both Inherent Vice and One Battle After Another.
A Recent Diversion
Away from narrative filmmaking, Anderson has been expanding his portfolio. He recently directed a concert film focusing on Cameron Winter, the 24-year-old frontman of indie rock band Geese. Filmed during one of Winter’s solo performances at Carnegie Hall last December, the documentary Cameron Winter at Carnegie Hall arrives in cinemas later this year.
Why it Matters
Anderson’s standing in contemporary cinema cannot be overstated. With two Best Picture wins in just three films, he has cemented himself as one of the most reliable and critically acclaimed directors working today. The prospect of a new project—potentially involving A-list talent like Washington—represents significant news for the film industry. His ability to pivot between intimate character studies and ambitious period pieces suggests whatever he chooses next could shape the cultural conversation for years to come.
