Posted on 03/24/2009 8:48:48 AM PDT by Reaganesque
As their next film, Joel and Ethan Coen will put their spin on "True Grit," the iconic Western that won an Oscar.
Not a traditional remake, the Paramount film will be more faithful to the Charles Portis book than the 1969 pic, also distributed by Par.
Portis' novel is about a 14-year-old girl who, along with an aging U.S. marshal and another lawman, tracks her father's killer in hostile Indian territory.
But while the original film was a showcase for Wayne, the Coens' version will tell the tale from the girl's p.o.v.
Pic will be their first period Oater.
Project reteams the brothers with Scott Rudin, their partner on the Oscar-winning "No Country for Old Men." The Coens wrote the screenplay.
The original starred as the teen, Wayne and as the lawmen, Jeff Corey as the killer and featured and Dennis Hopper as fellow outlaws.
"True Grit" originated at DreamWorks when that company was Par-based, but it was one of the projects that Stacey Snider and Steven Spielberg left behind since the original is part of the Paramount film library. Former DreamWorks prexy , now a Par exec, is steering the project for the studio.
The Western steps in front of another novel adaptation the Coens have with Rudin: "The Yiddish Policemen's Union," based on the Michael Chabon novel and set up at Columbia.
The Coens just completed "A Serious Man," which they scripted, for Focus Features and Working Title.
They are repped by UTA.
How about Sam Elliott?
Sick of remakes.
What could go wrong?
That sentence makes no sense whatsoever.
I love Sam Ellito but, he’s no John Wayne. I heard some talk of Tommy Lee Jones who could do a decent job but there’s the same problem with him. He’s not John Wayne.
Or Tom Selleck. Think about how good “Quigley Down Under” was.
True Grit is one of my least favorite Wayne movies, don’t know why just something about that movie bores me to tears. So I’m OK with the Coen’s going for it.
FIll your hands.....
I hear what you’re saying, but since the estimable Mr. Wayne is no longer available, I don’t see a solution.
With the Coen bros, this should not be a “remake”
I hate to see anybody walk on the bone of the Duke but I’m interested to see what they come up with.
I was just about to say that!
The original starred Kim Darby as the teen, Wayne and as the lawmen, Jeff Corey as the killer and featured Glen Cambell as a Texas Ranger, and Robert Duvall and Dennis Hopper as fellow outlaws.
Can you imagine, Sean Penn playing the John Wayne Part? Or maybe Brad Pitt?
What if they pick Sean Penn to play Wayne's part?
This conceivably could be another great vehicle for continuing Micky Rourke’s comeback...
The obvious choice for the new model Rooster Cogburn would be Keanu Reeves.
The Rooster Cogburn role was clearly made for Michael Moore.
The rest of the screenplay just writes itself.
Well you know the teen will be played by Dakota Fanning. She’s in everything these days.
I wonder if they’ll move the Rockies to the area just west of Ft. Smith again.
I have been all through eastern Oklahoma, never saw hills that big.
Clint Eastwood, but evidently “Gran Torino” was it for him.
Maybe Kim Darby is available for a cameo.
I usually like Coen Bros stuff. Fargo is the best, IMHO.
They could combine dialogue from Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Milk, and True Grit:
"Fill me Mr. Hand!"
Robert Duval would be a nice pick, especially with the history from the first film.
I’m all for it! A remake of True Grit would be a lot of fun to watch. Unfortunately, too many movies today can’t keep the liberal gibberish and “shame” out of the plotline.
Tom Selleck would be my pick. That would get this gal into the theatre.
LOL. How about Leonardo DiCapprio
Robert Duval or Gene Hackman.
I miss actors like John Wayne.....he filled the screen
I wouldn’t mind seeing Elliott in the role nor Tommy Lee Jones, particularly if they get a good script. I even think Ian McShane of HBO’s “Deadwood” and, more currently, ABC’s “King” would be an interesting choice. He’s a Brit but, he’s done Westerns and done them well and has the right look. That could be very interesting. I’m just leary of remaking a John Wayne film.
Spot on with Selleck.....tight jeans with leather chaps......nice.....
I have not read the book, but how was the film not told from Maddie's p.o.v.? But for scenes in which she was not a part, everything revolved around her, her experiences, her demands, the great exchanges between her and Col. Stonehill (I'm sorry, not only can I envision no one comparable to The Duke, but no way can anyone out-do Strother Martin either), the movie is her story, regardless some others had to be outlined.
I don't know about dumbest move so much as *what's the point* other than trying to make a buck off a gullible bunch of movie-goers, since no one seems to be able to come up with anything new, ideas, scripts -- it's not as though there aren't a MILLION stories, books out here just waiting to be transferred to the silver screen. Brudder.
Probably Sean Penn as the Sheriff, and Tom Cruise as the 14 year old girl...
“Unfortunately, too many movies today can’t keep the liberal gibberish and “shame” out of the plotline.”
Exactly. Whether it’s intentional or not, the Hollyweirders live and breathe the political correctness and cultural Marxism so much it’s almost impossible to keep it out of their movies whether they want to or not. That’s why I find myself watching movies mainly made pre-1990 to avoid it.
“True Grit” isn’t one of my all time favorite Wayne films(I rank “The Sons of Katie Elder”, “Rio Bravo” and “Big Jake” much higher) but I don’t want the Coen brothers to ruin it. At the very least, rename the film and the characters so their post-modern take on it doesn’t ruin it.
Which is why I mentioned Tommy Lee Jones. He would be a good choice. Bridges might be a good choice as well. Heck, John Goodman might not be a bad choice. But I keep coming back to..."but, its John Wayne!!!" We'll see.
Let’s just pray it doesn’t star Clooney or Pitt ping.
Remkes are never as good as the original.
They can add a lot of cuss words that weren't in the original. The Coens should have quit after Raising Arizona.
Well, as long they don’t try to BE John Wayne, they’ll do alright.
Still the movie has been done right and doesn’t need to be done again.
Dag nabit!
Beaten to the punch again.
Oh, hhhaaa
The War Wagon is comin’... women and children better stay behind ;)
bfl
Duvall, Hackman, Eastwood? Great actors but why not get John Wayne... Oh wait he’s dead. You guys do realize that Duvall is 78, Eastwood 78 and Hackman 77 ?
I like Selleck and Jones and you might be able to get those guys on a horse for a month of shooting at the spry age of 62.
Other than, maybe, “The Hudsucker Proxy”, the Coen brothers don’t make mistakes.
Robert Duvall. Definitely.
Craig T. Nelson
Oh, how my little sister cried when they gunned Glen Campbell down... :-)
A friend of mine, who went to U of Arkansas with Portis, said that Glenn Campbell took the time to show the producers all around the Ft. Smith area looking for shooting sites, but they decided to do Colorado instead.
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