For fans of Alexander Payne waiting on his next film after 2017’s Downsizing, this year has been quite the roller coaster. You may recall he was going to direct the star-studded culinary film The Menu led by Emma Stone and Ralph Fiennes, only to set that aside and take on a journalist biopic starring Mads Mikkelsen. That project was pulled at the last moment over rights issues, and it seemed like The Menu was back on. But not so fast, because Payne has lined up something else, a remake of 1987 Oscar winner Babette’s Feast.
Directed by Payne from a Gary Branum script, Babette’s Feast centers on two sisters in a small Minnesota religious community who accept a refugee into their homes and forces them to confront regrets over an extravagant 7-course meal. The original movie became the first Danish film to win the Oscar in the Best Foreign Language category.
This should be right in Payne’s sweet spot, and hopefully this one gets off the ground without a hitch. [Deadline]
