Reese Witherspoon to Star in and Produce ‘Election’ Sequel ‘Tracy Flick Can’t Win’

Brian Welk

December 8, 2022 at 12:30 PM·2 min read

Reese Witherspoon will reprise one of her most iconic early roles – and we’re not talking about Elle Woods. Witherspoon will star in and produce “Tracy Flick Can’t Win,” a sequel to her 1999 cult-classic film “Election” that’s set up at Paramount Pictures and intended for Paramount+.

The original film’s writer and director Alexander Payne is also back on board for the sequel, which is based on Tom Perrotta’s latest novel of the same name and was released earlier this year. Perrotta previously wrote the novel “Election,” which was adapted for the original film. Witherspoon will reprise her role as Tracy Flick, now a hard working but frustrated assistant principal at a public high school in New Jersey, where she is still fighting for the top job.

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Both the book and the film have been described as biting, darkly comedic satires in the way that Payne’s original “Election” was. Tracy’s new aspirations to become principal bring back disturbing memories of her youth when she finds herself competing for the job alongside a former high school football star who had a brief stint in the NFL.

No other casting was revealed.

Payne is directing and will also write the adaptation along with Jim Taylor. Witherspoon is producing “Tracy Flick Can’t Win” via her Hello Sunshine banner alongside Lauren Neustadter, as will Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa for Bona Fide Productions, which produced the original “Election” and Payne’s “Nebraska.” The author Perrotta is executive producing.

1999’s “Election,” which also starred Matthew Broderick, was nominated for an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Witherspoon stars on “The Morning Show” for Apple TV+, and we’re still awaiting an update on another long-awaited sequel to one of her beloved performances, “Legally Blonde 3” for MGM. She’s an executive producer on the upcoming “Daisy Jones and the Six” series and will also star in an upcoming comedy alongside Will Ferrell for director Nicholas Stoller.

Payne’s next film is “The Holdovers,” which screened in secret at this year’s TIFF and was sold to Focus Features in a massive $30 million deal. The film reunites Payne with his “Sideways” star Paul Giamatti and is expected to be released next year.

Perrotta is the bestselling author of ten works of fiction, including “Election” and “Little Children,” both of which were made into Oscar-nominated films, and “The Leftovers” and “Mrs. Fletcher,” both of which were adapted into critically acclaimed HBO series.

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