The Coen Brothers' next movie: True Grit

Cafe Society
1

No kidding! It’s not really a “remake” of the movie though, they’re adapting the book (beware, spoilers), which I loved and read about a thousand times growing up.

“Fill your hand, you son of a bitch!”

Jeff Bridges will (probably not) be saying those classic words, as Rooster Cogburn. Matt Damon is La Boeuf (the Glen Campbell character), and Josh Brolin’s character is not named, but I’m assuming it’s Ned Pepper, the Robert Duvall character.

They’re hunting for Mattie Ross right now, holding auditions all over the country, and accepting taped auditions. They’re looking for a girl between 12-17.

For a peek at the process, go to

http://www.truegritcasting.com/

There’s even a bit of the script there.

I love the book, I love the movie, and I love the Coens. I’m looking forward to it.

2

Cool. Maybe they will actually film it in Arkansas and Oklahoma, where it is set. Can’t say I’m too keen on Bridges as Cogburn, though.

3

Who would be better?

4

I believe, especially after seeing Crazy Heart, that Jeff Bridges was born to play Rooster Cogburn. It’s like the Coens waited for him to get old enough and grizzled enough to do the role justice.

I’ll bet Robert Duvall is disappointed though.

5

Dude blew it by 30 years, though he’d’ve nailed it.

6

Exactly.

7

What villainy is this?

True Grit does not need to be remade. *True Grit *should not be remade. Whoever this Jeff Bridges person is, he is not John Wayne. The Duke was the perfect Rooster Cogburn, and ever shall be. Oak hath spoken. So mote it be.

8

Robert Duvall.

9

Billy Bob Thornton

10

They’ll audtion 1000s of girls, and then cast either Abigail Breslin or Dakota Fanning.

11

Since the original movie was very faithful to the book, there’s really no difference.

12

The Dude vs. The Duke. There’s only one letter difference. It sounds crazy, but it just might work.

13

Isn’t Rooster kind of an atypical lead character for the Coens? By that I mean that most of their main characters–even if they are competent at their jobs–seem to be in over their heads. It’s been a long time since I saw True Grit, but I don’t remember Cogburn’s being portrayed as out of his depth.

14

This is what movie makers do when they run out of ideas. Very disappointing.

15

What? They adapt books? Or they adapt books that were once adapted into movies? Or they do projects that you aren’t excited about?

16

It’s not a remake it’s simply a different adaptation of the original book.

Edit: On reflection I can see someone already made my point. I think I need to read the book at some point.

17

They do their own original scripts most of the time, and they’ve always got 2 or 3 projects at a time in mind for future work, so I don’t think their idea well has run dry yet.

18

Ideally someone with a genuine Southern accent, so I don’t have to endure yet another poor Hollywood imitation. :slight_smile: Actually Josh Brolin did a pretty good job with the accent in No Country for Old Men. Maybe they should have cast him as Rooster.

Billy Bob Thornton has the accent, but I’m not sure he’s right for the part. Clooney can do the accent, but he’s too “pretty” for this part. Hmm. Fred Thompson might have been good before he went into politics, but now his political past would be a distraction. Plus he is probably too old. And Randy Quaid’s got a bad case of the crazy. R. Lee Ermey, maybe?

I shall have to study on this.

19

Is Sam Eliott too old?

20

My first thoughts exactly.