# The Coen Brothers' next movie: True Grit **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 31, 2009, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-coen-brothers-next-movie-true-grit/523155 "2009-12-31T05:17:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-coen-brothers-next-movie-true-grit/523155/1 "2009-12-31T05:17:08Z")
[No kidding!](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt1403865/) It’s not really a “remake” of the movie though, they’re adapting the [book](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_Grit_%28novel%29) (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](http://www.truegritcasting.com/self-taping.html). They’re looking for a girl between 12-17. > [@](#): > > Fourteen year old Mattie is a simple, tough as nails, young woman in post-Civil War Arkansas. Her unusually steel nerves and straightforward manner are often surprising to those she meets. She possessed plenty of true grit and determination. Enough so that she insists on going with 2 marshals to hunt down the killer of her father. We are looking for a girl who’s tough, strong, and tells it like it is. Must be able to portray Caucasian. For a peek at the process, go to > **[truegritcasting.com](http://www.truegritcasting.com/)** > > This domain may be for sale! There’s even a [bit of the script](http://www.truegritcasting.com/mattie_preread.pdf) there. I love the book, I love the movie, and I love the Coens. I’m looking forward to it. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-coen-brothers-next-movie-true-grit/523155/2 "2009-12-31T05:29:48Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-coen-brothers-next-movie-true-grit/523155/3 "2009-12-31T05:40:52Z")
Who would be better? ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-coen-brothers-next-movie-true-grit/523155/4 "2009-12-31T05:45:43Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-coen-brothers-next-movie-true-grit/523155/5 "2009-12-31T05:47:23Z")
Dude blew it by 30 years, though he’d’ve nailed it. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-coen-brothers-next-movie-true-grit/523155/6 "2009-12-31T05:49:04Z")
Exactly. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-coen-brothers-next-movie-true-grit/523155/7 "2009-12-31T06:32:58Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![wedgehed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8edcca/32.png) [@wedgehed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wedgehed)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-coen-brothers-next-movie-true-grit/523155/8 "2009-12-31T06:59:05Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Who would be better? Robert Duvall. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-coen-brothers-next-movie-true-grit/523155/9 "2009-12-31T14:08:49Z")
Billy Bob Thornton ---
**Author:** ![McGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f4b2a3/32.png) [@McGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/McGeek)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-coen-brothers-next-movie-true-grit/523155/10 "2009-12-31T14:15:06Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > [No kidding!](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt1403865/) They’re hunting for Mattie Ross right now, holding auditions all over the country, and accepting [taped auditions](http://www.truegritcasting.com/self-taping.html). They’re looking for a girl between 12-17. They’ll audtion 1000s of girls, and then cast either Abigail Breslin or Dakota Fanning. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-coen-brothers-next-movie-true-grit/523155/11 "2009-12-31T14:17:04Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > [No kidding!](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt1403865/) It’s not really a “remake” of the movie though, they’re adapting the [book](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_Grit_%28novel%29) (beware, spoilers), which I loved and read about a thousand times growing up. Since the original movie was very faithful to the book, there’s really no difference. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-coen-brothers-next-movie-true-grit/523155/12 "2009-12-31T17:39:05Z")
The Dude vs. The Duke. There’s only one letter difference. It sounds crazy, but it just might work. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-coen-brothers-next-movie-true-grit/523155/13 "2009-12-31T18:26:15Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-coen-brothers-next-movie-true-grit/523155/14 "2009-12-31T18:43:00Z")
This is what movie makers do when they run out of ideas. Very disappointing. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-coen-brothers-next-movie-true-grit/523155/15 "2009-12-31T19:12:42Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > This is what movie makers do when they run out of ideas. Very disappointing. What? They adapt books? Or they adapt books that were once adapted into movies? Or they do projects that you aren’t excited about? ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-coen-brothers-next-movie-true-grit/523155/16 "2009-12-31T19:22:35Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > _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. 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. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-coen-brothers-next-movie-true-grit/523155/17 "2009-12-31T19:23:47Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-coen-brothers-next-movie-true-grit/523155/18 "2009-12-31T20:16:54Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Who would be better? Ideally someone with a genuine Southern accent, so I don’t have to endure yet another poor Hollywood imitation. 🙂 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. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-coen-brothers-next-movie-true-grit/523155/19 "2009-12-31T20:23:49Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > Ideally someone with a genuine Southern accent, so I don’t have to endure yet another poor Hollywood imitation. 🙂 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. > > I shall have to study on this. Is Sam Eliott too old? ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-coen-brothers-next-movie-true-grit/523155/20 "2009-12-31T20:26:19Z")
> [@McGeek](#): > > They’ll audtion 1000s of girls, and then cast either Abigail Breslin or Dakota Fanning. My first thoughts exactly. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-coen-brothers-next-movie-true-grit/523155.md?page=2)