Paul Thomas Anderson

Paul Thomas Anderson (born June 26, 1970) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Born in Los Angeles, Anderson developed an interest in filmmaking from a young age. An alumnus of the Sundance Institute, Anderson is famous for making often epic psychological drama films which often take place in San Fernando Valley and deal with characters seeking after redemption, forgiveness or loss; they also use wide framing as well as realistic or gritty cinematography. Anderson made his feature film debut with Hard Eight (1996). He found critical and commercial success with Boogie Nights (1997), set in the Golden Age of Porn, and received further accolades with Magnolia (1999), an ensemble piece set in the San Fernando Valley, and Punch-Drunk Love (2002), a romantic comedy-drama film. Anderson's 2007 film There Will Be Blood, about an oil prospector during the Southern California oil boom, achieved major critical and commercial success and was often cited as one of the greatest films of the 2000s. This was followed by The Master (2012) and Inherent Vice (2014). Anderson's eighth film, Phantom Thread, was released in 2017. He has directed music videos for artists including Fiona Apple, Radiohead, Haim, Joanna Newsom, Aimee Mann, Jon Brion and Michael Penn, and has also directed a documentary, Junun (2015), about the making of the album in India, and directed a short film accompanying Thom Yorke's Anima (2019), released on Netflix and in select IMAX theatres. Anderson's ninth film, Licorice Pizza, was released in December 2021. It was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay at the 94th Academy Awards. It follows a teenage actor (Cooper Hoffman) in love with a photography assistant (Alana Haim). Anderson’s most recent film, One Battle After Another was released on September 26, 2025, to critical acclaim. It grossed $22 million at the box office in its opening weekend and achieved a $200 million total gross, and became Anderson's