Surprise, surprise! Paul Thomas Anderson, director ofThere Will Be BloodandBoogie Nights, is returning with a new short film, which he made with Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke. The short, titledAnima, is set to debut on Netflix next week. The short is being released in conjunction with Yorke’s new solo album of the same name. The heralded musician is pulling out all the stops for his latest solo effort.
The teaser doesn’t give us much to go on. We get a taste of the music that will be incorporated into the short. We also getThom Yorkepeeking at the camera from behind a wall. The whole thing is comprised of some very trippy imagery, which is on brand for both Yorke and Paul Thomas Anderson. It’s being referred to as a “one-reeler.” In the beginning of the teaser, that is defined as follows.
“A motion picture, especially a cartoon or comedy, of 10-12 minutes duration and contained on one reel of film; popular especially in the era of silent films.”
This serves as the follow-up to the 2017Paul Thomas AndersoneffortPhantom Thread, which served as Daniel Day Lewis' final movie, assuming the actor is good to his word. This is far from the first time that PTA and Thom Yorke have collaborated with one another. Anderson directed several videos for Radiohead, including ones forDaydreamingand another forThe Numbers. Anderson has also worked with Radiohead guitarist Johnny Greenwood several times in the past. Greenwood provided the score forThere Will Be Blood,The Master,Inherent ViceandPhantom Thread. So there’s a lot of history and connectivity there.
This is just one small part of Netflix’s large investment in original content. The good news is that they can invest in something like this, which might not have found a home anywhere, even just a handful of years ago. Thom Yorke released his first solo album,The Eraser, in 2009. He followed that up with his sophomore solo record,Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes, in 2014. Those who are hoping to score a physical copy ofAnimawill have to wait until July 19. Pre-orders for Vinyl/CD copies of the album are available now. Be sure to check out the trailer forAnimafrom theNetflix YouTubechannel for yourself.
