Norwegian author Karl Ove Knausgårds two part travelogue for the New York Times, My Saga, which traces the Vikings’ migration to the US is to be adapted for the big screen by Alexander Payne.

Producers Berger and Yerxa acquired the film rights to Knausgaard’s articles, which trace the Vikings’ journey from Newfoundland to Minnesota, after Berger read them on a flight to Scandinavia. His destination was a conference of independent producers so he was able to start rights negotiations almost immediately upon arrival.

The articles have a dry Scandinavian sensibility, so the producers are currently looking for a Scandinavian screenwriter to adapt My Saga, and have secured Alexander Payne to direct.

Berger told Variety that he believes Alexander Payne’s track record in road trip movies (Nebraska, Sideways, About Schmidt) makes him a good match for the project: “I think Alexander has the ideal sensibility for a comedy about cultural misunderstanding.”

Alexander Payne is also due to begin filming Downsizing in Norway this autumn, subject to tax incentives. It is described as a social satire in which a man shrinks himself for a better life.