Alexander Payne is attached to direct an adaptation of Karl Ove Knausgaard’s travel articles “My Saga” for Bona Fide Productions, TheWrap has learned.
Knausgaard is a Norwegian author who traced the Vikings’ historic trek through the Northern U.S. in two lengthy articles published in the New York Times Magazine last year. He was joined on his comedic, often absurd journey by Magnum photographer Peter van Agtmael.
Bona Fide’s Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa will produce the project with the Scandinavian producers Madeleine Ekman and Lizette Jonic of Zentropa Sweden. The quartet will soon hire (a likely Scandinavian) writer to adapt the “My Saga” articles for the big screen.
Payne has worked with the Bona Fide duo before, as Berger and Yerxa also produced his acclaimed movies “Nebraska” and “Election.” He’s currently prepping Paramount’s social satire “Downsizing,” which will star Matt Damon and Reese Witherspoon.
Berger and Yerxa recently teamed with a group of Scandinavian producers on Joachim Trier’s 2015 drama “Louder Than Bombs,” which stars Gabriel Byrne, Jesse Eisenberg and Isabelle Huppert. They’re also developing Marc Webb‘s drama “The Only Living Boy in New York” and an adaptation of Nick Hornby‘s novel “Juliet, Naked.”
The news about Payne directing “My Saga” was first reported by Thompson on Hollywood.