Alexander Payne‘s The Descendants, his upcoming film about a George Clooney character trying to reconnect with his daughters, is, not surprisingly, one of the films I have circled in the back of my head. The writer-director, of course, has a long history of dramedy success, which is a genre I particularly enjoy when it is done well.
This Deadline report makes it seem that Payne will probably continue to work in this vein with his next project, Wilson. It is an adaptation of Dan Clowes graphic novel, and Clowes is reportedly writing the screenplay adaptation with Payne in mind as director. And, as the title suggests, Fox Searchlight has bought the rights. Here is the report’s plot summary of Clowes‘ graphic novel:
Wilson tells the story of an opinionated middle-aged loner who loves his dog and maybe nobody else. He begins a quest to find human connection, badgering friends and strangers into a series of one-sided conversations that get derailed by his brutally honest sense of humor. When his father dies, Wilson is really alone and sets out to find his ex-wife in hopes of rekindling their long dead relationship. In the process, he discovers he has a teen daughter, who was born after the marriage ended and given up for adoption. He becomes determined to reconnect all three of them as a family. You know that can’t end well.
The story sounds intriguing regardless of the director, and Searchlight’s backing is good news in itself, but Payne‘s confirmed involvement would raise the bar even higher. It’s tough to say when Payne will make his decision. His IMDb page lists Fork in the Road as a recently announced project for the director, so it may be a while before Wilson gets started if Payne is indeed going to be helming it.
Would you like to see Payne direct Wilson? Do you have any other preferences?