Will Ferrell & Julia Louis-Dreyfus Are Remaking FORCE MAJEURE
Have you folks seen Ruben Östlund's Force Majeure?
It's great. Whole movie's about this family on vacation at a swanky ski resort. One day, while they're all eating a meal together out on the hotel patio, a controlled avalanche begins somewhere up the mountain. Snow starts sweeping towards the resort in a massive wave, and then - rather than grab his family and pull them to safety - the dad just runs away, leaving the entire clan there to fend for themselves. The whole thing's over and done with in a matter of seconds, but the fallout from that moment of cowardice has seismic, lasting repercussions.
Here, you can see the build-up to said moment in this trailer:
Force Majeure is one of the best dark comedies of the past decade, one I'll wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who'll listen. It's so good, in fact, that I probably shouldn't be surprised to learn that it's being remade for American audiences. Here's the thing, though: I think the new version could be great, too.
Take it away, Deadline:
"Will Ferrell is attached to star with Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Downhill, Fox Searchlight’s remake of Ruben Ostlund’s acclaimed Swedish drama-comedy Force Majeure. Oscar winners Nat Faxon and Jim Rash (The Descendants) have come on board to direct."
Casting Will Ferrell in the lead all but guarantees that Downhill will be a bigger, louder, more obvious version of Force Majeure, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Imagine Ferrell, panicking and running for cover. Imagine the staggeringly profane tirades Louis-Dreyfus will launch at Ferrell's character. Imagine the chemistry between these two. Faxon and Rash know comedy, and I trust them (and this cast!) to deliver on all of those fronts. This is the rare case where I can imagine two versions of the same movie being equally great for different reasons, and I'm all-in for it.
Deadline says production's set to start in Austria early next year. We'll be keeping our ear to the ground for further updates, and will share 'em with you, the gentle BMD readers of the world, as they roll in. Stay tuned, and please spend the interim catching up with Östlund's original if you haven't already seen it. Maybe don't watch it with your spouse.
