It's been far too long since we've had a substantial hit of Alexander Payne. His last feature, Sideways, was all the way back in 2004 and his next feature, The Descendants, though in post-production, has yet to establish a release date. Fortunately for us, it doesn't seems as though he will be making us wait for another half-decade after that for his next film.
Deadline reports that Fox Searchlight has purchased the rights to Daniel Clowes graphic novel Wilson with Payne mentioned as a possible director. Clowes, who wrote the screenplay for both previous adaptations of his work, Ghost World and Art School Confidential, will write the script with Payne, through his Ad Hominem label, producing. In the book, the titular protagonist is a loner who tries to find a connection to humanity via his ex-wife.
Does anyone else think that a mash up of Payne and Clowes is a a perfect combination? Jim McAllister from Election, Miles from Sideways and Warren Schmidt from About Schmidt all feel like characters ripped straight off the pages of one of Clowes' books. Here's hoping that Payne sees this connection as well and decides that it is the project for him. Until then, The Descendants can't get here soon enough.
