The Coen Brothers Talk True Grit
Posted 09.15.09 by Ryan
Joel and Ethan Coen's next movie, the black comedy A Serious Man, opens October 2, but their follow-up to that, True Grit, seems like an unusual choice for the genre-hopping duo. Both Coens maintain that their version won't be a traditional remake of the John Wayne Western of the same name.
"It's not really a remake, it's an adaptation," Ethan told ComingSoon. The Coens explained that they are returning to the original source material, the novel by Charles Portis, rather than rely on the 1969 feature. While Wayne won an Oscar for his performance in it, True Grit is rarely considered his best movie. The Coens agree:
"We did see it as kids. I don't know if Joel's seen it since," said Ethan. "It made very little impression on me, the movie. We subsequently both read the book and the book made a huge impression and I guess that's kind of why we're interested in doing the movie."
"It's not a great movie but it is a great book, actually," agreed Joel.
The Coens are hoping to make Grit next, though it's not certain. Likewise, Jeff Bridges is rumored to be up for the Wayne role, but The Coens wouldn't confirm the casting, only commenting that they're "talking to somebody."