While Joel and Ethan Coen worked on two more features together after Inside Llewyn Davis, many (such as Mia Hansen-Løve) thought the story of an artist trying to find his way after the loss of his partner portended the eventual parting of ways for the brothers. Following Hail, Caesar! and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Joel Coen went solo directing The Tragedy of Macbeth while Ethan Coen helmed a Jerry Lee Lewis documentary and the forthcoming Drive-Away Dolls. Thankfully, it looks the brothers will now reunite for a new project.
As revealed in the current issue of Empire Magazine (via /Film), Ethan Coen said that he’s already working with Joel Coen on developing a new script. He also noted he very much hasn’t “gone solo” as his wife Tricia Cooke not only co-wrote the script for Drive-Away Dolls but also co-directed the film with him, though the Directors Guild of America’s strict rules prevented her from being credited. As for when we can expect more updates: while Ethan Coen and Tricia Cook recently revealed plans to make a trilogy of lesbian B-movies, Ethan said his new project with Joel may take precedence.
Unfortunately, Ethan was tight-lipped about what the new film may be, but the Coens have a vast handful of unrealized projects they could mine from, including adaptations of Ross Macdonald’s crime mystery novels The Zebra-Striped Hearse and Black Money, Michael Chabon’s detective novel The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, James Dickey’s WWII thriller To the White Sea, plus a dark web film about Silk Road, a Barton Fink sequel, and more. Knowing the inventiveness of the duo, we wouldn’t be entirely surprised if it was something entirely new. As we await more details, it’s simply nice to know the band is getting back together.