Alexander Payne and Fox Searchlight are reteaming on family dramedy The Descendants, Payne’s first feature since Sideways, reports Variety. Payne begins filming in Hawaii at the end of the year or early 2010.
The filmmaker is in the midst of polishing Nat Faxon and Jim Rash’s script, adapted from Kaui Hart Hemmings’ debut novel of the same name.
Set in Hawaii, “Descendants” tells the story of a wealthy landowner who takes his two daughters on a search for his wife’s lover in the hopes of keeping his family together.
Payne is also developing Downsizing, which will star Paul Giamatti, Sacha Baron Cohen and Reese Witherspoon.
Payne opted to shoot “Descendants” first in order to give Downsizing more prep time.
