Graphic novelist Daniel Clowes is no stranger to seeing his work adapted for a cinema audience (he scripted 2001’s highly-praised Ghost World) and it looks like another creation of his is heading for the big screen.
Deadline is reporting that Fox Searchlight have picked up the rights for the writer and artist’s latest book Wilson, with the intention of Alexander Payne taking on directing duties.
Wilson is the tale of an opinionated middle-aged loner and misanthrope who attempts to reconnect with his ex-wife, following the death of his own father. Through his ex, he discovers he has a teenage daughter (born after the marriage ended and given up for adoption) whom he attempts to track down.
This collaboration has the potential to deliver great things. There’s shades of About Schmidt in this story (which presumably resonated with the director), and both Payne and Clowes are experts at presenting flawed, sometimes pathetic, characters who still manage to garner the audience’s sympathy.
