Clooney Connecting to Payne’s “Descendants”

Alexander Payne’s “The Descendants” is going to shoot in Hawaii. Is that why George Clooney is interested?

Variety reports that George Clooney is in talks to star in “The Descendants.” Alexander Payne is directing Nat Faxon and Jim Rash’s adaptation of Kaui Hart Hemmings novel. This will be Payne’s first film since his 2004 indie hit “Sideways.”

“The Descendants” is about “a wealthy landowner who takes his two daughters on a search for his wife’s lover in the hopes of keeping his family together.” Wow, that sounds like one wacky plan!

Clooney would, of course, play the wealthy landowner. He’s currently shooting “The American” (how weird is that? He IS American!), and has three movies coming out this fall: “Men Who Stare At Goats,” in theaters on Friday, and “Up in the Air” and “The Fantastic Mr. Fox” soon after (Clooney is voice only in “Mr. Fox”).

Payne directed one of my favorite high school movies, “Election,” so he’ll always get a free pass from me for that. I would assume that this “The Descendants” thing is a comedy. At least I hope so. Clooney can do a variety of things onscreen, but one of his greatest skills is his willingness to look foolish or make fun of himself and not care what others think. Soooo…yeah. Get this thing done. Start signing the contracts.