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Downsizing (2017, D: Alexander Payne) S: Damon, Wiig, Waltz, Chau

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Downsizing (2017, D: Alexander Payne) S: Damon, Wiig, Waltz, Chau

Old 03-02-09, 05:04 PM
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Downsizing (2017, D: Alexander Payne) S: Damon, Wiig, Waltz, Chau

From Variety:
Alexander Payne is putting the finishing touches on the social satire “Downsizing,” a script about small people, and has put together a big-name cast.

Paul Giamatti, Sacha Baron Cohen and Reese Witherspoon have all committed to star in the film, which would likely land at Fox Searchlight, where Payne has a first-look deal.

Giamatti, who previously teamed with the director on “Sideways,” is on board to star as a man low on money who decides he can have a much nicer life if he undergoes a process to shrink himself.

Witherspoon, also a Payne alum, whose career took off after starring in “Election,” would play a woman Giamatti meets on his journey as a small person. Cohen would play a pint-sized foreigner.

There are no deals in place for the three principals, and no negotiations will take place until Payne finishes his screenplay, which he is penning with Jim Taylor. Jim Burke is producing alongside Payne.

Unlike previous Payne pics, “Downsizing” would require considerable special effects and could push the budget out of Searchlight’s realm.
Old 03-02-09, 10:56 PM
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Re: Downsizing (Alexander Payne): Giamatti, Witherspoon & Sacha Baron Cohen

Alexander Payne = My ass in the seat opening night.
Old 03-02-09, 11:18 PM
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Re: Downsizing (Alexander Payne): Giamatti, Witherspoon & Sacha Baron Cohen

Same. Just rewatched Election last week.
Old 01-08-15, 04:07 PM
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Downsizing (D: Alexander Payne) S: Matt Damon, Reese Witherspoon

EXCLUSIVE: Wild star Reese Witherspoon will star with Matt Damon in Downsizing, the next film from Alexander Payne. The pic was scripted by Payne with Jim Taylor, with whom Payne shared the Adapted Screenplay Oscar for Sideways. They partner in Ad Hominem Enterprises, and their scripting collaborations also include About Schmidt. The film is a social satire in which a guy realizes he would have a better life if he were to shrink himself. Witherspoon’s star making role as she transitioned from child actress to adulthood came in the Payne-directed satire Election.

The timing is the tricky thing here for Witherspoon, who’s squarely in the Oscar mix for her performance as star and producer of Wild. Damon first will do another installment of the Bourne franchise for Universal, and then Downsizing will happen. Witherspoon is repped by CAA and LBI.
http://deadline.com/2015/01/reese-wi...ne-1201342403/


I was just wondering if Witherspoon and Payne were ever going to work together again.
Old 01-08-15, 04:22 PM
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re: Downsizing (2017, D: Alexander Payne) S: Damon, Wiig, Waltz, Chau

Hrmmm.
Old 01-08-15, 06:01 PM
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re: Downsizing (2017, D: Alexander Payne) S: Damon, Wiig, Waltz, Chau

Alexander Payne? Matt Damon? man wants to shrink himself? This already sounds better than Ant-Man.
Old 01-08-15, 06:37 PM
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re: Downsizing (2017, D: Alexander Payne) S: Damon, Wiig, Waltz, Chau

Man what did big name indie producers do before Megan Ellison?
Old 01-08-15, 09:44 PM
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re: Downsizing (2017, D: Alexander Payne) S: Damon, Wiig, Waltz, Chau

Ever since Citizen Ruth and Election, I have yet to be impressed by Payne. Not that his films suck, but I just don't get all the praise. I'll still check this out.
Old 01-08-15, 09:59 PM
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re: Downsizing (2017, D: Alexander Payne) S: Damon, Wiig, Waltz, Chau

Originally Posted by inri222
Ever since Citizen Ruth and Election, I have yet to be impressed by Payne. Not that his films suck, but I just don't get all the praise. I'll still check this out.
I thought The Descendants was wonderful but I agree that his other highly rated films have fallen flat for me.
Old 01-08-15, 11:32 PM
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re: Downsizing (2017, D: Alexander Payne) S: Damon, Wiig, Waltz, Chau

I'm a fan of every Alexander Payne movie, so I'll definitely see this one.
Old 01-09-15, 12:38 AM
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re: Downsizing (2017, D: Alexander Payne) S: Damon, Wiig, Waltz, Chau

Originally Posted by dhmac
I'm a fan of every Alexander Payne movie, so I'll definitely see this one.
Me too. I'll go see anything with his name on it.

Although I think Nebraska and The Descendants were somewhat overrated.
Old 01-09-15, 09:17 AM
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re: Downsizing (2017, D: Alexander Payne) S: Damon, Wiig, Waltz, Chau

Originally Posted by Throwing Copper
...I think Nebraska and The Descendants were somewhat overrated.
I agree and I would also include About Schmidt.
Old 01-09-15, 09:26 AM
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re: Downsizing (2017, D: Alexander Payne) S: Damon, Wiig, Waltz, Chau

EXCLUSIVE: Annapurna Pictures has stepped up to finance and produce the Alexander Payne-directed Downsizing, a film which will go into production in early 2016. It will start production with a killer cast. In addition to Matt Damon and Reese Witherspoon in the lead roles, the film will also star Alec Baldwin, Neil Patrick Harris and Jason Sudeikis.

When Deadline yesterday scooped that Wild star Witherspoon would re-team with her Election director, it became a mystery where such a well-cast movie was going to end up. I’d thought it was Fox. There’s plenty of time to find a distributor, but the film now has its funding and Megan Ellison’s production/finance company has added another solid prestige film to its slate. The label is in the Oscar mix with the Bennett Miller-directed Foxcatcher.

Baldwin is shooting the NFL concussion drama at Sony that stars Will Smith, after he completed Warren Beatty’s Howard Hughes film, Cameron Crowe’s untitled film and Mission: Impossible 5; Harris is coming off Gone Girl and is hosting the Oscars; Sudeikis is coming off Horrible Bosses 2.

Ellison joins Jim Burke, Payne and Jim Taylor as producers. Payne and Taylor wrote the script, a social satire in which a guy realizes he would have a better life if he were to shrink himself. The film won’t begin production until next year because Damon will be busy reprising his Jason Bourne role for Paul Greengrass and Universal Pictures. The plan is for Downsizing to be released for Christmas 2017.
http://deadline.com/2015/01/downsizi...on-1201344847/
Old 01-09-15, 06:45 PM
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re: Downsizing (2017, D: Alexander Payne) S: Damon, Wiig, Waltz, Chau

Shrinking?! Payne has never done anything fantasy or sci-fi before. Could be interesting.
Old 08-30-17, 06:51 AM
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re: Downsizing (2017, D: Alexander Payne) S: Damon, Wiig, Waltz, Chau

<iframe width="605" height="340" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bkadMe_Iqs4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Old 08-30-17, 10:37 AM
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re: Downsizing (2017, D: Alexander Payne) S: Damon, Wiig, Waltz, Chau

Early reviews: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/downsizing
Old 08-30-17, 11:39 AM
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re: Downsizing (2017, D: Alexander Payne) S: Damon, Wiig, Waltz, Chau

1. I'm so sick of previews for trailers.
2. That clip made me less interested because it told me nothing. Like I'm dumber now than when it began.
3. I love Talking Heads, but use of overly familiar pop song does not help sell your film

I look forward to 9/12 when the real trailer drops. I expect nothing less than full Salisbury Hill.
Old 09-12-17, 05:29 AM
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re: Downsizing (2017, D: Alexander Payne) S: Damon, Wiig, Waltz, Chau

<iframe width="605" height="340" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UCrBICYM0yM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Old 09-12-17, 03:18 PM
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re: Downsizing (2017, D: Alexander Payne) S: Damon, Wiig, Waltz, Chau

Looks stupid but I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to see it.

Well Played Marketing Dept. and Trailer Editor. Well played..
Old 09-12-17, 03:23 PM
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re: Downsizing (2017, D: Alexander Payne) S: Damon, Wiig, Waltz, Chau

No upskirt jokes = no sale
Old 09-12-17, 05:32 PM
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re: Downsizing (2017, D: Alexander Payne) S: Damon, Wiig, Waltz, Chau

Honey I Shrunk the Kids: Fiscally Responsible Adult Edition

I'll be watching it.
Old 09-12-17, 06:19 PM
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re: Downsizing (2017, D: Alexander Payne) S: Damon, Wiig, Waltz, Chau

Originally Posted by RichC2
Honey I Shrunk the Kids: Fiscally Responsible Adult Edition

I'll be watching it.
Yes. Looks interesting.
Old 09-13-17, 11:19 AM
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re: Downsizing (2017, D: Alexander Payne) S: Damon, Wiig, Waltz, Chau

Great concept but meandering execution - saw it at TIFF yesterday. It has some great scenes but at 135 minutes, it is bloated and feels like 3 movies smacked together. Has a lot of big ideas but doesn't quite do justice to them and Damon is fairly flat as the lead. Trailer doesn't hint at some of the directions this movie goes, which is great but also may mislead people a bit. I love Alexander Payne but this is definitely in the lower tier of his works.
Old 09-13-17, 12:07 PM
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re: Downsizing (2017, D: Alexander Payne) S: Damon, Wiig, Waltz, Chau

Saw that same second screening of this at TIFF yesterday, and don't mind hinting a bit harder at some of those other directions the trailer leaves out, partly out of frustration. Great to see a unique voice like Payne's inform a sci-if piece. It's a bit long but always engaging, and I think it's at least as good as some of his other films, though not necessarily his best.

The most pleasant surprise for me was discovering that Hong Chau is actually the co-star of the film, and not Kristen Wiig. Chau gives the film its heart more than Damon does, and at least as much of its humour as Waltz as Damon's insouciant eurotrash neighbor, and it's sad that neither she nor her major plot line nor her excellent performance get virtually any time in that trailer posted earlier. I get that they want to hold back some plot turns, but such a move has the potential to feel like yet more fear of giving Asian-American performers their full due: she's essentially the second lead, on screen longer than Wiig and Waltz (the latter of whom is nonetheless hilarious) but obviously the studio marketing 'bots can still find feeble reasons in the 21st century to tread lightly around

Spoiler:
interracial romance.

Hopefully subsequent trailers can be a little more revealing.

Chau affects a tart Vietnamese accent that will probably sound a bit too effortless to those who know she hasn't got one in real life, but I'm sure she honed her mimicry naturally as the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants, and she sidesteps easy stereotyping by incorporating it into a thoughtful, funny and pragmatic character, and one arguably more likeable than the leading man!

It was also great seeing Udo Kier in a substantial role. I haven't seen any final posters, but by rights he should be billed fifth.

There's a scene in the trailer of little people "tapping" a full-sized Absolut bottle that I really don't remember seeing in the movie. Perhaps I looked away briefly.

Last edited by Brian T; 09-13-17 at 12:18 PM.
Old 09-13-17, 12:21 PM
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re: Downsizing (2017, D: Alexander Payne) S: Damon, Wiig, Waltz, Chau

^I will confirm that the "tapping the absolut" is not in the movie. Hong Chau is the highlight for sure, I absolutely loved her and she has a great monologue towards the end of the movie.

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