The Fox Searchlight marketing department seems to be embracing the web with more enthusiasm this year than they have in the past. Terrence Malick‘s “The Tree Of Life” has an official Fox Searchlight page, a Tumblr and its own detailed standalone site. Clearly, it’s helped push the arthouse film in the minds of more mainstream moviegoers and it looks like the studio is taking the same tack with Alexander Payne‘s upcoming “The Descendants.”
A new website — Who Is He? — has launched and gives us our first glimpse of the film with a clip of George Clooney running down the street and asking the question. But for those of you who have been following the film or are familiar with the source material, the answer is obvious. Co-scribed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, “The Descendants” follows the story of a wealthy Hawaiian man named Matt King (Clooney), who takes his daughters (Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller) on a road trip to find the man his wife has been having an affair with after a boating accident leaves her critically injured.
It’s Payne’s first feature film since his big hit “Sideways” seven years ago, but the studio has high hopes. The film has been earmarked for the Oscar-baiting December 16th release date and a TIFF premiere pretty much seems inevitable. As for the clip, it seems to be right in the zone of Payne’s typical mixture of humanity and heart and we can’t wait to see more. Head over there now to check it out yourself or see the clip below. [via The Film Stage]