Downhill (2020)

[Darth Marcus]

Source: Deadline

Will Ferrell Joins Julia Louis-Dreyfus In Fox Searchlight’s ‘Force Majeure’ Remake ‘Downhill’; Nat Faxon & Jim Rash To Direct
by Andreas Wiseman - November 2, 2018 9:59am

EXCLUSIVE: Will Ferrell is attached to lead cast 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.

The biting comedy will chart how a narrow avalanche escape during a ski vacation in the Alps throws a seemingly picture-perfect family into disarray as they are forced to reevaluate life, and how they truly feel about each other. Shoot is due to get underway in Austria in early 2019. Casting is underway on supporting roles.

Seinfeld and Veep star Dreyfus is producing with Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind and Foxcatcher producer Anthony Bregman from Jesse Armstrong’s (Four Lions) script. Executive producers are Stefanie Azpiazu, Ruben Ostlund and Erik Hemmendorff.

The acclaimed 2014 original won the Cannes Un Certain Regard Jury Prize, cleaned up at the Swedish version of the Oscars and was nominated for a Golden Globe. It kicked Swedish filmmaker Ostlund’s career into another gear and he then went on to make Palme d’Or-winner The Square. Both films took more than $1M at the U.S. box office, no mean feat for Scandi-language dramas.

Downhill reunites Searchlight with actor-writer-directors Faxon and Rash with whom they worked on George Clooney comedy-drama The Descendants and 2013 pic The Way Way Back, the duo’s directorial debut. It also re-teams them with Louis-Dreyfus in her first film since 2013 comedy-drama Enough Said. Anchorman and Daddy’s Home star Ferrell will next be seen in comedy Holmes & Watson alongside his Talladega Nights and Step Brothers co-star John C Reilly.

“Obviously, Searchlight is like family at this point. We’re honored to be working with them for a third time. But, to also have our paths cross with Julia, and a fellow Groundling alum in Will, makes this all the more special and exciting for us,” Faxon and Rash said.

“Downhill is a tale of bad judgement and moral weakness, so how fitting that Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell embody those values. Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, of course, are more than qualified to capture the fallout,” added producer Bregman.

“We’re thrilled to once again be working with the inimitable duo of Nat Faxon and Jim Rash. And it goes without saying that bringing Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell together for the first time on screen is a dream come true. The Austrian alps are in for a comedic avalanche,” commented David Greenbaum and Matthew Greenfield, Fox Searchlight Pictures Presidents of Production, Film and Television.

[Poya]

Most interesting thing Will Ferrell has signed on in years. Hope for the best.

[Mobe1969]

A fantastic team top to bottom. Nat Faxon and Jim Rash are a great team.

[Foggy]

An American Force Majeure remake with Will Ferrell sounds like one of my worst nightmares...yet I’m not disregarding it entirely yet, we’ll see.

[CrazyBlu-RayFan]

Official MPA Rating: R for Language and Some Sexual Material

[MifuneFan]

Didn't realize this was a remake as I haven't seen the original film, but I saw a trailer for it today in theaters, and it looks great.

Downhill Trailer #1 (2020) | Movieclips Trailers - YouTube

[AaronJ]

I must admit that I was thinking sort of along the lines of, "Well, I'll check this out when it hits Netflix or HBO or whatever. I've never seen the original. I don't ski. But it sounds sort of entertaining. And I did like The Descendants well enough."

Then I saw that trailer.

Now, I'm pretty darned psyched to see this.

[Kaiju]

Hey at least they got that one guy with the giant ginger beard from the original.

What a weird movie to remake though...

[Cremildo]

[Foggy]

Yeeesh, it doesn't look bad by any means, but they've properly gutted the original of all it's ambiguity and visual wit. This is pretty much the text book example of an American remake.

[MifuneFan]

Ut oh..

[imsounoriginal]

Still kinda interested, mainly because of Dreyfus and the R-rating. Ferrell's always been hit-or-miss.

[Chaotic]

Still want to see it. Looks fun and love JLD

[ThePreacher]

Will Ferrell sucks. He was fine when his first hits came, but he has become insufferable...and why re-make this?

[BluBonnet]

I think it starts OK.... but it quickly went downhill. So at least it lived up to its name....

[murphywmm]

I thought "Force Majeure" was absolutely terrible (one of my biggest movie disappointments), so it doesn't surprise me to hear this remake is also terrible.

[dex14]

Force Majeure is a masterpiece. This was shit.

[h0h0x]

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is absolutely fantastic. The rest of it is okay.

[Chaotic]

I loved it. JLD was tremendous. Looks of beautiful scenery.

[CyberpunkCentral]

Que?