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The Coen Brothers Directing a Western Next?!
by Alex Billington
December 27, 2007
Source: Cinema Blend
The Coen Brothers have been receiving quite a bit of acclaim because No Country for Old Men has been sweeping the best of the year lists non-stop. Although No Country for Old Men is a phenomenal film itself and worth taking a moment to reflect upon, we’re all excited to see what The Coen Brothers are cooking up next, and whether it will be as good. They’ve already finished filming a dramatic comedy titled Burn After Reading that stars George Clooney and John Malkovich and is already in post-production aiming for a 2008 release. But after that, how about a western? No, a spaghetti western? Joel and Ethan were recently quoted as saying they’d already written a script for a western and it could be their next.
The Coen’s have directed everything from serious dramas (Fargo, No Country for Old Men) to comedy (The Hudsucker Proxy, The Big Lebowski) and even a remake of classic literature (O Brother, Where Art Thou?). They’re an incredibly versatile directing duo and their next is a bit more lighter than No Country. In Burn After Reading, Malkovich plays an ousted CIA official named Ozzie Cox whose memoir accidentally falls into the hands of two unwise D.C. gym employees intent on exploiting their find.
In a recent interview at WENN (via Cinema Blend), Joel Coen mentioned a western they had written, and how graphically violent it would be.
“We’ve written a western with a lot of violence in it. There’s scalping and hanging … it’s good. Indians torturing people with ants, cutting their eyelids off. It’s a proper western, a real western, set in the 1870s. It’s got a scene that no one will ever forget because of one particular chicken.”
It’s not officially confirmed that this is their next film, but it’s fun to speculate. And I’d love to see the Coen’s do a spaghetti western like described. I always love when filmmakers jump ship from their typical field and experiment and explore in new genres – and a western made by the Coens sounds pretty awesome. Although the violence is a bit excessive, as they’ve described, this sounds like another welcome western in the recently reinvigorated genre. I’ve embraced the western genre with opens arms this year with two incredible films, 3:10 to Yuma and Assassination of Jesse James, and I’m certainly looking forward to more.
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6 Comments
1
God, I hope it's their next. The Coens are two guys who would know how to make a great western.
Zach D. on Dec 28, 2007
2
I think it's safe to say, from reading that quote, that they really do plan on making that film. That's just the feeling I got from reading it.
Nick O. on Dec 28, 2007
3
I would truly love to see a western in the atmosphere that they describe. for one thing, no one has done that yet. no western to date has reflected the true degree of violence that both whites and natives perpetrated on one another. and no better crew to make this happen than the Coens. cnat wiat to hear more on this one.
Jordan on Dec 28, 2007
4
I'd really like to see the "Dude" return, but a violent Coen Bros western is the next best thing 🙂
avoidz on Dec 28, 2007
5
ive heard somebody gave the brothers the book to the no country movie...coen boys i have no clue if u read sites like this one but i think the book " budding prospects " written by t.c. boyle is perfect stuff for fuckin genius guys like u 2
zoltan on Mar 28, 2008
6
Am I the only one who thinks this sounds a lot like Blood Meridian, a book by Cormac Mccarthy the guy that wrote No Country For Old Men? Blood Meridian is an incredible book, filled with insane amounts of violence.
Jason on Jun 28, 2008
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