Alexander Payne Says He’s Developing An Untitled Western With ‘The Holdovers’ Screenwriter David Hemingson

Filmmaker Alexander Payne (“Sideways,” “The Descendants,”) recently held a Q&A session during the Lumière Film Festival in Lyon, France (via Variety), with Los Angeles-based French film journalist Didier Allouch overseeing that conversation. Payne gave the French audience a big tease about what he’s currently working on, which could allow him to tackle a dream film genre. Payne revealed that he is now developing a Western with the help of screenwriter David Hemingson, who worked with the director on his recent pic “The Holdovers.”

READ MORE: ‘Tracy Flick Can’t Win’: Alexander Payne Says He Has “A Couple Things To Do Before” He Makes His ‘Election’ Sequel

“I finally found a creative partner who shares the same zeal that I have for Westerns. [What matters is] a shared sensibility about what makes a good movie, then it’s just a matter of luck about finding the right person, as I have the luck in finding this guy,” he said, pointing to his co-writer among the audience while dishing about his potential project.

We’ll have to wait for specific details about the project and who exactly will end up being cast; however, we wouldn’t be all that surprised if there is another reunion with Paul Giamatti, who would easily slide into a Western from Payne after working with him on “Sideways” and “The Holdovers.” We’ve seen the Coen Brothers take a more humorous angle with their Netflix anthology “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” which could be a good blueprint for the tone of what Payne could end up making.

This isn’t the only thing on the burner for Payne as he’s attached to make a sequel to his acclaimed dark comedy “Election” with “Tracy Flick Can’t Win” starring Reese Witherspoon at Paramount+, but isn’t expected to be next.

“The Holdovers” will have a limited domestic run on October 27, and you can check out the film’s trailer below. You can also read The Playlist’s review of the film here.