New PTA film getting Hoffman and Renner?

Paul Thomas Anderson is putting together the pieces to develop his latest untitled project that will be revolving around the topic of Scientology. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jeremy Renner are both being tapped on to co-star in the picture that talks about the beginnings of the controversial religion.

Hoffman would play a charismatic intellectual who becomes the leader of a start-up religion in the 1950s that takes off like wildfire. Jeremy Renner is circling the role of a young drifter who becomes his right hand man but begins to question his mentor and the whole belief thing (Deadline New York).

Universal Pictures originally was attached to help with the feature financially but backed out, especially over the recent bomb with Green Zone. Now Bill Pohlad’s River Road is coming in to save the day, or at least could be since they are in the middle of talks to go and have them finance this feature.