Ghostbusters star Kristen Wiig is replacing Reese Witherspoon in Alexander Payne’s forthcoming dramedy DOWNSIZING. Wiig will join her The Martian co-star Matt Damon after Witherspoon was forced to exit the project due to scheduling conflicts. Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau, Jason Sudeikis, Alec Baldwin, and Neil Patrick Harris are also set to star.
The film, written by Payne and Jim Taylor, is a social satire in which an Omaha man realizes he would have a better life if he were to shrink himself. He joins the throngs of people undergoing a new process that reduces people to a tiny fraction of their size and who moves to one of the many communities of small people that are sprouting up around the world.
Payne is producing through his Ad Hominem Enterprises banner with Taylor and Jim Burke, along with Megan Ellison of Annapurna Pictures and Mark Johnson of Grand Via. Paramount will distribute.
Wiig is best known for her broad comedic characters on Saturday Night Live and leading roles in comedies like Bridesmaids, but she’s made a foray into more dramatic fare recently, including the Sundance favorites Skeleton Twins and The Diary of a Teenage Girl. Payne’s last film, Nebraska, also took a chance on an SNL alum primarily known for comedy, Will Forte – and the risk was largely met with critical acclaim.
Wiig recently appeared in Zoolander 2, and lended her voice to the upcoming Seth Rogen animated comedy Sausage Party. She is repped by UTA.
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Josh Lyons | Managing Editor
