Why Paul Thomas Anderson’s New Movie Is Called Licorice Pizza

Paul Thomas Anderson is returning to the 1970s with a new film titled Licorice Pizza, a name that pays homage to the movie’s time, place, and culture. Following his Academy Award-winning film Phantom Thread in 2017, Anderson is already making headway for a 2022 Oscar run with Licorice Pizza. First announced back in late 2019 when the working title was given as Soggy Bottom, most details were kept under wraps besides its 1970s theme and that Bradley Cooper would star in the movie. After two years of anticipation, Licorice Pizza is premiering in theaters on November 26, 2021.

Licorice Pizza follows two teenagers in the 1970s, Alana Kane (Alana Haim) and Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman), an actor (not the Dirk Diggler kind), who fall in love as they navigate Hollywood and California’s San Fernando Valley. The Licorice Pizza characters come into contact with big industry names like A Star Is Born producer Jon Peters (Cooper, likely not coincidentally) and other experienced actors while also enjoying the nuances of ‘70s adolescence. Known for his classic needle drops, Paul Thomas Anderson is already giving a taste of the great ‘70s music to come in Licorice Pizza as he places David Bowie’s “Life on Mars?” over the trailer.

The 1970s theme isn’t foreign to Paul Thomas Anderson’s movies, but the title is an odd description that strikes viewers’ curiosity. No, the new movie isn’t about food – “Licorice Pizza” comes from a chain of record stores in Southern California that operated from 1969-1986 and was at its height during the ‘70s. The record store getting the Licorice Pizza name goes back even further, coming from a record by folk/comedy duo Bud & Travis [via YouTube] in which they recall unsuccessfully trying to sell their vinyl records, eventually saying they place sesame seeds on one side and sell them at feed stores as “licorice pizzas.” While highly acclaimed director Paul Thomas Anderson’s new movie will be following the Los Angeles movie industry, the film clearly has its roots in the Southern California music scene of the time.

While it gives no clear indication to the plot of the film, Licorice Pizza’s title is a clear homage to the movie’s time and place, meaning those who grew up in the San Fernando Valley in the 1970s and fell in line with the characters’ personalities likely know exactly what he’s talking about. In essence, the title will capture the style and themes of Anderson’s movie, paying homage to the youth culture of the specific time and place. Filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson himself was born and raised in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley, so Licorice Pizza will likely take more personal influence from his experience as an adventurous child growing up in Hollywood’s film industry, where his father was a notable television personality.

This isn’t the first time Anderson has written and directed a film about a high school actor, as he notably jumpstarted his career with a little movie called Boogie Nights. While Licorice Pizza follows high schoolers getting wrapped up in 1970s Hollywood with big-time producers and older members of the industry, Boogie Nights depicted the misadventures of a high schooler entering and becoming a success in the 1970s adult film industry. Licorice Pizza seems to be clearly following in Boogie Nights’ visual style and aesthetics, with Anderson even casting the son of the late Phillip Seymore Hoffman, who played Scotty J. in Boogie Nights, in the 2021 movie’s lead role. Since Boogie Night is still considered Anderson’s most beloved film and a great love letter to Los Angeles, fans are more than excited for Licorice Pizza.

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Jordan Williams
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Jordan Williams is a Movie/TV Feature Senior Staff Writer for Screen Rant. She graduated from the University of Oregon in 2020 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Media Studies.

Jordan is based in Seattle, Washington and enjoys exploring the natural beauty the PNW has to offer. She runs on coffee and classic movies, taking pride in having watched every film on AFI’s 100 Greatest Films list and every Best Picture Oscar winner.

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