Dude Abides in Coens 'Grit'

Earlier this year it was announced that the Coen brothers next film would be "True Grit". This week news broke that the brothers Coen and Paramount Pictures are in final talks to re team with The Dude himself, Jeff Bridges. Read all the details below...


True Grit written by Charles Portis was originally a 1968 serial printed in the bi-monthly magazine, The Saturday Evening Post. In 1969 it was published in book form. The story followed a 14 year-old girl Mattie in 1873 who after learning that her father was murdered and local law enforcement are doing nothing to find the killer, she sets out to track down the killer. The young girl searches out the toughest deputy she can find and persuades him to help her find her father's killer and bring him to justice. Along the way, Mattie and Reuben J. “Rooster” Cogburn come across a Texas Ranger named La Boeuf, who is also hunting the very same killer and the trio set out intending to track down the killer who has taken refuge in Native American territory and is grouped up with an infamous outlaw gang.

In 1969, Henry Hathaway directed the movie version of Portis's book which ended up winning John Wayne an Academy Award in 1970 for Best Actor. The 1969 version of True Grit focused moreso on Wayne's character Rooster Cogburn than the young girl Mattie and the Coen's new version will change that. The Coen's intend to make a more traditional vision of Charles Portis original serial. Joel Coen told the Daily Mail back in February, "The book recounts the girl's story. In the John Wayne film, she was played older. We want her to be her real age - it's her story!"

If a deal is made, Jeff Bridges would take on the role made iconic by John Wayne, Rooster Cogburn. Bridges would be the first actor attached to the picture and the first time the Coen's and Bridges have worked together since 1998. Bridges would make a perfect Rooster Cogburn. Mr. Bridges is one helluva talented actor and seeing in him a Coen's western as the one-eyed Cogburn has my mouth watering just as much as Rooster's would be for a shot of whiskey. The original Portis novel was much gritty than the 1969 western that played to John Wayne strengths. We can expect to see a gritty coming of age tale about a 14-year-old girl, told in that traditional Coen style set in the back drop of 19th century Western America. The original story also focused on the relationship between the strange trio hunting down the brutal killer. Needless to say, more news on the Coen's "True Grit" as it breaks....

Source: Variety

What say you? Having the Dude and the Coen's re-teaming a good thing? Fan of westerns? Strikeback...