Possible Cast For Paul Thomas Anderson's Next Includes Reese Witherspoon, Amanda Seyfried, Emma Stone

Despite the fact that Universal passed on financing the picture, Paul Thomas Anderson is still working on his next film The Master, about a man who creates a 'faith-based organization' that mushrooms into an empire in the '50s.

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jeremy Renner are on board, and now Anderson is working to cast some of the major female roles. Among the possible actresses to appear are Reese Witherspoon, Amanda Seyfried, Emma Stone and Deborah Ann Woll.The Playlist reported last week that PTA had put an offer out to Reese Witherspoon which, if accepted, would cast her as Mary-Sue, wife of the title character (Hoffman) who "acts as his caretaker and vigilant lieutenant."

The other primary female role is Elizabeth, daughter of Mary-Sue and the master. Three actresses are being considered for that role, says Production Weekly (via The Playlist): Amanda Seyfried, Emma Stone and Deborah Ann Woll.

All three are intriguing candidates, but Seyfried and Stone both have upcoming commitments. Seyfried has The Girl with the Red Riding Hood and Stone has The Help. Depending on when PTA wants to put The Master before cameras, those commitments could put them out of the running. Woll has a few films in the can (Mother's Day, Highland Park, Little Murder) and may still have commitments to True Blood. That said, you know that if there's a way for any of these three to make their schedule work with a role in a PTA film they're going to make an effort to get things to work out.

Keep in mind that, while an offer has gone out to Witherspoon, no offer is yet out to any of the other three women for the role of Elizabeth. And, for that matter, there's still the suggestion that The Master is a provisional title for the film.