From an outsider’s perspective, 2019 has been a bit of a wild ride for Alexander Payne. Even though the filmmaker hasn’t released a new film since 2017’s “Downsizing,” this past year has seen Payne attached to a total of three films, including the most recent announcement, a remake of the 1988 film “Babette’s Feast.”
According to Deadline, Payne has agreed to direct a remake of “Babette’s Feast,” which will be scripted by Guy Branum. The film follows a similar plot as the original film, which finds two older, unmarried sisters in a small religious community in Minnesota that accept a refugee, who makes the two women confront regrets over an extravagant meal.
As mentioned, this isn’t the first project that Payne has found himself in development in 2019. Earlier this year, it seemed as if he was full-steam ahead on a film titled “The Menu,” which was going to star Emma Stone and Ralph Fiennes. Then when that stalled, the filmmaker moved onto a film with Mads Mikkelsen, which was set up with Netflix. However, right as the film was going to begin production, the rights were taken away and the production fell apart. Now, Payne finds himself with a new production company, Unique Features, and a brand-new film project. Fingers crossed that “Babette’s Feast” is the one that actually gets produced.
READ MORE: Emma Stone & Ralph Fiennes Join Alexander Payne’s New Dark Comedy ‘The Menu’
Payne is an accomplished filmmaker that has been nominated for six Academy Awards, taking home two trophies for Best Screenplay for films “The Descendants” and “Sideways.” His previous film, “Downsizing,” wasn’t the awards powerhouse that many thought it might be, so film fans have been anxiously awaiting what Payne has in store for them next.
There’s no release date for “Babette’s Feast,” but you can watch a trailer for the original film below.