It’s been over 25 years since Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon) ran for school president in Election. The black comedy directed by Alexander Payne has been previously reported to have a sequel in the works, and the filmmaker shed light on where the film is at in the development process. During his appearance at the Sarajevo Film Festival, Payne shared that he is currently conceiving the follow-up project alongside Jim Taylor, who co-wrote the original film with him. Although this means that the sequel is still in the early stages of production, he did hint at the source material him and Taylor are using for inspiration.

Much like the 1999 movie, the second installment will be based on Tom Perrotta‘s book series. His novel, Tracy Flick Can’t Win, came out in 2022, and it follows the titular character eyeing the opportunity to become the new school principal. By using her ambitious tactics, she hopes to convince students, faculty, and the School Board that she is more than qualified to fill the post, even if star quarterback Vito Falcone is the preferred candidate for the job.

The Election sequel was announced by Paramount back in 2022, with Witherspoon reprising the role of Tracy Flick and producing the film. Yet, since Payne and Taylor are still working on the script, it isn’t clear when the follow-up will begin filming. In an interview with Collider‘s own Steve Weintraub last year at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, the director shared that he is eager to work with Legally Blonde alum again.

“We’re always throwing each other flowers and asking when we’re gonna work together again. So, there’s a structure in place for us to do that, but I just haven’t pulled the trigger yet. It’s kind of up to me. I just have some other stuff before, on my docket.”

Payne Is Also Working on a Western With ‘The Holdovers’ Screenwriter

In addition to the sequel, the filmmaker is also teaming up with screenwriter David Hemingson again after the success of The Holdovers. Their next collaboration will be a Western, which is a genre that Payne has longed to venture into for a while now. He shared that the film would hone in on the characters and their relationship with the surrounding landscape. The director also shared that he is using Anthony Mann‘s filmography as inspiration for this untitled project.

Election is available to stream on Paramount + in the US.

via Collider