Paul Thomas Anderson’s Movie With Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Son Has An Unappetizing New Title

It’s been four years since the last Paul Thomas Anderson movie, his masterpiece Phantom Thread, but his new one is coming soon. And if you were lucky enough to be in Los Angeles or London this week, you might have seen the first trailer. According to the Film Stage, the first teasers for Licorice Pizza (I am not a hungry boy for licorice pizza), previously titled Soggy Bottom, played in select repertory cinemas.

Premiering in front of screenings of American Graffiti and Beavis and Butt-Head Do America at London’s Prince Charles Cinema, the 35mm trailer then screened last night at LA’s New Beverly between the double feature of Kiss Me Deadly and Repo Men, as well as at the American Cinematheque before a screening of Strangers on a Strain and at the Aereo before Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!.

A new PTA trailer debuting in front of Beavis and Butt-Head Do America Chef’s kiss. “Licorice Pizza” was the name of a Southern California-based record store chain in the 1970s, when the film is set. (It’s also an Abbott and Costello reference: “Well, we could sprinkle cornstarch on the bottom and sell them as Licorice Pizzas.”)

Those in attendance did their best to describe the ~vibe~ of the teaser:

— Harry Eskin (@harryeskin) September 10, 2021

I mean it’s me trying to describe a memory of a trailer, so take it with a grain of salt, but: 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

— Harry Eskin (@harryeskin) September 10, 2021

Saw a 35mm trailer for LICORICE PIZZA at the Aero tonight.

It’s a great trailer! And the movie looks like a warm and generally grounded coming of age dramedy, but you can tell there will be ecstatic PTA movie moments. Also B Coops will get memed into oblivion.

— Clay Keller (@claykeller) September 10, 2021

Licorice Pizza, which stars Bradley Cooper, Cooper Hoffman (that’s Philip Seymour Hoffman’s son), Benny Safdie, Alana Haim (one of the Haim sisters), Maya Rudolph, Tom Waits, and Skyler Gisondo, opens in select theaters on November 26 before a wide release on December 25. Other movies out this Christmas: Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Matrix Resurrections, Sing 2, and on Netflix, Don’t Look Up.

— Jesse Hawken (@jessehawken) September 9, 2021

*everyone starts getting used to Licorice Pizza*

PTA: okay the new title is Birthday Monster

— Mr. Chau (@Srirachachau) September 9, 2021

when there's licorice on the pizza pic.twitter.com/a2STlGDvPd