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Paul Giamatti, Sacha Baron Cohen and Reese Witherspoon aboard

Mar 3rd 2009 By Total Film

Word leaked over the weekend that Alexander Payne was finally planning to follow up Sideways with a new movie – called Downsizing – and that Paul Giamatti, Reese Witherspoon and Sacha Baron Cohen were in talks.

Now comes the official news that they’re all attached to a film that sees Giamatti’s character decide he can live better if he shrinks himself. Yes, literally.

He meets and falls for a woman (Witherspoon) who initially agrees to undergo the process herself, but chickens out. Oh, and there’s Cohen, who is in line to play a fellow shrunken human and his regular-sized twin.

Fox Searchlight has a first look deal with Payne, so chances are they may end up with the script, which will represent a hefty challenge given the effects involved.

And no one wants it to end up looking like the creepy, unfunny Little Man. We’re shuddering just remembering it.

But this is Alexander Payne and he’s writing with Sideways co-scribe Jim Taylor, so we have much higher hopes.

[Source: Variety]

A new Payne pic. Is your excitement at Jeff Goldblum or Verne Troyer levels, metaphorically speaking?