How would you like to be Nat Faxon and Jim Rash right now? If you've never heard of the writing duo, they're currently in the mist of some serious awards season buzz over their script for The Descendants. They were lucky enough to land George Clooney to star in it, with Alexander Payne(Sideways) ending something of a career hiatus to direct it. Now one of their other long gestating projects looks to be ramping up, and another A-list caliber performer is showing interest.
The film is The Way, Way Back, and it's been in development for about four years now with a number of creators circling it at one point or another. From Shawn Levy, to Alexander Payne, to Tom Bezucha(The Family Stone), but for various reasons nothing ever really worked out. In Variety's story on fast rising producer Kevin Walsh, they reveal the project is moving ahead now with Faxon and Rash deciding to direct the film themselves, and Jake Gyllenhaal in talks for the lead role.The coming-of-age style story focuses on a teenage boy who learns to stand up to his bullying father and reconnect with his mother thanks to the friendship he forms during a memorable summer.
This one may be a ways off, as clearly nothing is set in stone yet. I won't see The Descendants until next week, so I'll have a better idea of what Faxon and Rash bring to the table then.
