'Schmidt' a good fit at New Line
'Election's' Payne, Taylor pen pic with Nicholson in mind
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Based loosely on the 1996 novel by Louis Begley, "Schmidt" reunites the writing team from last year's Paramount sleeper "Election": co-writer and helmer Alexander Payne and scribe Jim Taylor.
New Line is understood to be in conversations with Jack Nicholson for the title role (written with him in mind, according to Payne), though no negotiations have commenced.
Script centers on Albert Schmidt, a retired insurance man, 60-ish and recently widowed, who is quickly losing his battle with self-deception.
"In short, it's about a man who sees all of his institutions stripped away from him -- marriage, career, daughter -- and he has to figure it out when he realizes there isn't much time left," explained Payne, who spoke to Daily Variety between packing up boxes for a trip to Omaha to scout locations. "He has to come to grips with the decisions he's made and where they've taken him."
Rachael Horovitz, Fine Line's Gotham-based senior veepee of production and acquisitions, brought "Schmidt" into New Line, and Fine Line prexy Mark Ordesky and New Line founder Robert Shaye quickly snatched up the project for the mini-major. Ordesky and Horovitz will supervise its production at New Line.
A real 'Beauty'
"This is an intelligent, character-driven comedy in the best tradition of films like 'American Beauty,' " said Mike DeLuca, New Line's production prexy. "Alexander Payne is one of the best young directors working today, and we believe this project perfectly suited to his taste and sensibility."
In landing "Schmidt," New Line edged out Fox Searchlight and Universal Pictures, according to insiders familiar with the talks. Budget on the pic is estimated at slightly north of $30 million. Studio's aiming to start lensing early next January.
Harry Gittes ("Breaking In") and Michael Besman ("The Opposite of Sex") are producing the pic.
Ordesky and New Line biz affairs exec Jamie Kershaw brokered the deal on behalf of the studio.
Payne was repped by Endeavor and by attorney John Diemer at Bloom, Hergott, Diemer and Cook; Taylor is repped by the William Morris Agency.
