Distribution
The Master was initially set up with Universal, but, like The Weinstein Company, they eventually passed on the project because of problems with the script.[7][8] The main issue that Universal had with the project was that the budget was too big at about $35 million.[9] It was later reported that River Road was in serious talks to fully finance the film.[36] In February 2011, it was reported that Megan Ellison, daughter of billionaire Larry Ellison, would finance The Master and Anderson's adaptation of the novel Inherent Vice under her new production company Annapurna Pictures.[9][37] Harvey Weinstein later picked up the worldwide rights to the film in May 2011.[1][7][9]
Marketing
The first teaser poster for the film appeared in May 2011 at the Cannes Film Festival with the title Untitled Paul Thomas Anderson Project.[38] A second promo poster for the film appeared in November 2011 at the American Film Market with the same title.[39] On May 21, 2012, a teaser trailer featuring Joaquin Phoenix was released online and several minutes of footage from the film were shown at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.[40][41] A second teaser trailer was released on June 19, 2012, which featured Phoenix as well as Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams.[42][43] On July 19, 2012, a theatrical trailer was released online by The Weinstein Company.[44] The film was given an R rating in the United States by the Motion Picture Association of America.[45]
70mm screenings
The film was the first in 16 years to be predominantly shot in 65mm (using Panavision System 65 cameras), a camera negative format that is subsequently projected in 70mm (the extra 5mm are added to the projection prints to accommodate the audio tracks). On August 3, 2012, more than a month before its first official screening at the Venice Film Festival, The Master was shown in a "surprise screening" at the American Cinematheque in 70 mm.[46][47][48] It was announced that there would be a special screening just after a screening of a new remastered version of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining.[46][47] Following the credits of The Shining, it was announced that the special screening was The Master.[46][47] The film was shown with no opening titles (except for the title of the movie) or closing credits.[46][47] The Weinstein Company continued advance screenings of the film in 70 mm in New York City, Los Angeles, London, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Austin.[48] Although this was done because there was strong consideration that The Master was unlikely to be shown in the format during its commercial run, the film was eventually displayed during its run in 70 mm in most cinemas that carried the film and could still project that format.[12]
Home Media
The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on February 26, 2013, in the US, and March 11 in the UK. The release features "Back Beyond", a twenty-minute montage of deleted footage edited by Paul Thomas Anderson and set to Jonny Greenwood's original score. It also includes the 1946 John Huston documentary Let There Be Light, a source which Anderson reportedly found very influential in his creation of the film.[49][50]
