During an interview for the July 2023 issue of Empire, Ethan Coen disclosed that he is developing a new project with Joel — one that might take precedence over his next planned pairing with Tricia Cooke.
First off, it’s important to Ethan that moviegoers understand that he has not “gone solo.” He co-wrote “Drive-Away Dolls” with Cooke (his wife of 33 years) and shared directorial duties as well (something the Directors Guild of America is weird about acknowledging). As for what their next movie might be, all Cooke will say is that it’s “another lesbian movie.”
Ethan was even less forthcoming as to the content of his next film with Joel. There’s been speculation online that it’ll be another neo-noir, but the Coens are masters of misdirection. It’s best to sit back and wait for official confirmation before getting worked up over which genre sandbox they’re set to play in next. Maybe the time is at long last right for their adaptation of James Dickey’s “To the White Sea,” one of the greatest unmade screenplays gathering dust in Hollywood. Or perhaps they’ll shatter our hearts and mimic the cool kids by signing on for a CG-laden remake of a Disney classic. Yeah, that’s never happening.
All that matters is that the Coen brothers, as a filmmaking entity, still exist. Their “misses” would be triumphs for 99.9{81a086e50adc416cb06a533df9c9a0c5cefc9698f6906c0f4cbe2e77960b337a} of working directors. Wherever they wander off to, we will gladly follow.