In development for several years already, Alexander Payne is finally ready to push ahead with sci-fi comedy Downsizing, with Nebraska distributors Paramount stepping in to handle the film{
Payne wrote the script with Sideways partner Jim Taylor, and the plot will see an Omaha man (Matt Damon) low on money who decides that life would be a lot cheaper and easier if he underwent a procedure to shrink himself. Travelling through life as a tiny person, he meets a woman (Reese Witherspoon). In a previous incarnation, the film also boasted Sacha Baron Cohen and Paul Giamatti in the cast, but the Hollywood Reporter’s story on the new development doesn’t mention them, so we’ll assume for now they’re no longer aboard, but could always make new deals.
While the idea of an Alexander Payne VFX film does somewhat boggle our minds, we’re excited to see what he’ll do with technology. He’s scheduled to start filming next spring, with an eye on a late 2017 release date.
Damon, of course, is currently on screens in **The Martian **and is shooting the next Bourne instalment with director Paul Greengrass. Witherspoon has been focusing on her production company, developing a variety of projects, including Tinkerbell live-action film Tink and supernatural thriller Cold.