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Coen Brothers Casting Continues to Kick Our Asses / TK

Trade News | October 27, 2009 | Comments (20)

Jesus God let this happen. Make this happen.

We announced a few weeks back that the Coen brothers were going to adapt True Grit, and had already cast Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn, the role originally made famous by none other than John Wayne (he won an Oscar for his performance). As Dustin mentioned in his original post, the film will be less a remake of the Henry Hathaway-directed 1969 film, and more a straight-up, true-to-source adaptation of the novel by Charlie Portis.

Well, (via Slashfilm) the casting news has just gone from “awesome” to “really fucking kickass,” with the news that Josh Brolin and Matt Damon are in talks to co-star. Brolin would play Tom Chaney, the killer being hunted by Cogburn and La Boeuf (Damon’s proposed role). If it works out, it’d be an absolutely tremendous cast. All of the players have worked together before except Damon — Bridges and the Coens in The Big Lebowski, obviously, and the Coens also worked with Brolin in the spectacular No Country For Old Men. The Coen brothers do several things right — one of which is write, and the other is they routinely hit their casting out of the goddamn park. If Damon and Brolin sign on, I’ll probably geekgasm uncontrollably.

(header pic courtesy of eonline.com)


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Comments

I missed the prior mention of a True Grit revisitation.

This.
Is.
AWESOME!

Posted by: Rykker at October 27, 2009 10:44 AM

I gotta say, I didn't think you could improve the original, but the Coen's have done it again.

Posted by: George at October 27, 2009 10:44 AM

Now that's entertainment.

Posted by: Cindy at October 27, 2009 11:04 AM

I never cared for John Wayne, but I enjoyed the hell out of the original movie (and the book is even better). I'm psyched by this news. Jeff Bridges is an inspired choice.

But they have to cast the girl as perfectly as they have the rest of the characters.

Posted by: Jerce at October 27, 2009 11:16 AM

*clap clap clap*

Posted by: admin at October 27, 2009 11:16 AM

Jerce, who would you like to see in that role?

Posted by: becks at October 27, 2009 11:21 AM

I am so glad that the Coens are going after True Grit, unlike many I hated the original film. If you want to remake a movie that sucks and fix it, I can get behind that. I never read the book, but it has to be better than the steaming pile with the Duke.

So many things are awful about the original film. Kim Darby is beyond insufferable, she is totally schizophrenic and also whiny. OMG, so whiny, I wanted to slap her so many times. I know they were going for spitfire, but she really ruins the movie. The Duke is terrible in it too, over dramatic and shallow. Robert Duvall offers the movie's only good moments.

Seeing it in adulthood was such a disappointment, I remember thinking that it was ok when I saw it as a kid.

This remake, on the other hand, sounds fantastic! Bridges, Damon, and Brolin are all excellent casting choices. I think I might actually like this one. Dustin do you know who is playing Mattie?

Posted by: Mebe at October 27, 2009 11:24 AM

Honestly, becks, I don't know that many young actresses. The character is described as "plain" and is a blunt, humorless, tough-as-nails 14-year-old who is obsessed with finding the man who killed her pa and watching that man die--with or without a trial; she doesn't care how.

They need a young actress who can pull that off. Also, she'll have to hold her own against Bridges and the rest of the adult male talent. It's going to be tough finding a kid who can do that.

Posted by: Jerce at October 27, 2009 11:28 AM

Abigail Breslin is the first one that comes to mind. I suppose Dakota Fanning will be in the running as well. That's all I got at the moment.

Posted by: TK at October 27, 2009 11:30 AM

What about: Carey Mulligan? Or Zooey Deschanel?


Posted by: John W at October 27, 2009 12:05 PM

I think Abigail Breslin and Dakota Fanning are much too cutesy for the roll, and aren't Carey Mulligan and Zooey Deschanel too old?

Posted by: Katie at October 27, 2009 12:21 PM

Abigail Breslin could play the right age. The rest of the ladies mentioned are too old.

Posted by: Jerce at October 27, 2009 12:36 PM

What about Saoirse Ronan? She played the young version of Briony in Atonement.

Posted by: jM at October 27, 2009 12:42 PM

I think Emma Watson, sans British accent, could pull it off.

Posted by: ThunderSacTriumph at October 27, 2009 1:04 PM

OOH, jM, Saoirse Ronan would be great in that role!! I didn't much care for Atonement (I hate Keira Knightley. Bite me), but I loved Ronan in it.

Thanks for this post, TK. It was worth the ruined undies for the crap-my-pants ossomness of this news.

Posted by: Jelinas at October 27, 2009 2:49 PM

I immediately thought of the Atonement girl as well, though I can never spell her name. Saorise? Soarsise? Something. One of the few performances by a "child" actor that I can remember.

Posted by: Mick J at October 27, 2009 4:34 PM

She's also in the upcoming Peter Jackson adaptation of The Lovely Bones.

Brolin/Damon/Bridges is a fantastic cast. I thought that in all the (deserved) hoopla around Javier Bardem's performance in No Country For Old Men, Brolin was unfairly overlooked. He did tremendous work in that film.

Also in The Goonies.

Posted by: Daniel Hall at October 27, 2009 8:42 PM

I dunno ... the Coens aren't exactly on a roll lately.

Posted by: , (TCFKAB) at October 28, 2009 12:34 AM

Ellen Page could maybe take on the female role, but I agree wholeheartedly with the idea of Saoirse Ronan. I really wanted her to be Alice, too. I kind of just want her to have a great career. Thought she was brilliant in Atonement, and the only charming thing about I Could Never Be Your Woman.

Posted by: Mimi at October 28, 2009 3:56 AM

With Damon and Bridges, they could cast Morgan Freeman in the girl role. But for all the better, I think they should go with a talented unknown.

I still don't understand what you all like about Brolin. W is his best role, and probably his only role that isn't exactly like the rest. He wouldn't be bad as the villain again, but he's not stellar casting. He's a generic effing actor.

Posted by: Jackseppelin at October 28, 2009 7:24 PM





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