The Master has just received an extended cinematic trailer, revealing far more about the plot of the film and giving a tantalising look at director Paul Thomas Anderson’s attempt to dissect the germination of Scientology in the 1940s without explicitly referencing this cultish religion.

Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams, it is Anderson’s first film as director since 2007′s There Will Be Blood, which won two Oscars and was rated as one of the best movies of the decade by many critics.

It will be interesting to see just how much The Master is able to stir up the hornets’ nest of Scientology, since it is already causing controversy due to the overt similarities between Seymour Hoffman’s character and the religion’s founder, L. Ron Hubbard.

Given that Hollywood is famed for its devout Scientology followers, the most famous being Tom Cruise and John Travolta, there is a certain amount of daring combativeness behind the creation of this film. And based on the evidence of the trailer and Anderson’s track record, it is definitely going to be one to watch.