In a beautiful, bittersweet passing of the torch, Paul Thomas Anderson has cast Philip Seymour Hoffman’s son, Cooper Hoffman, in what will be the lead role of his new 1970s-set film. Currently shooting under the working title Soggy Bottom, set photos surfaced recently featuring Alana Haim, also making her screen debut, next to the newcomer, who is now confirmed to be Cooper Hoffman, THR reports.
In a career full of incredible accomplishments, among Philip Seymour Hoffman’s finest work was his collaborations with PTA, including Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love, and The Master. The son of Mimi O’Donnell and Philip Seymour Hoffman, the 17-year-old Cooper Hoffman will play a high school student and child actor in the film, marking his debut performance.
It’s also been confirmed that after being spotted on set, Benny Safdie is indeed in the film. Presumably inspired by real-life Los Angeles Council member Joel Wachs, Safdie’s character was a closeted gay man with a larger-than-life personality who didn’t come out until the late 1990s. Meanwhile, Bradley Cooper’s character remains a mystery, but he looks to be inspired by Jon Peters, the producer of A Star is Born.
Soggy Bottom is currently shooting in and around the San Fernando Valley. Watch a recently published conversation featuring Philip Seymour Hoffman discussing Capote at the 43rd New York Film Festival in 2005: