So, the Coen Brothers have “broken up,” gone their own way, and aren’t making films anymore, right? One imagines the truth is more nuanced and complicated than that. Take Carter Burwell, their longtime composer. He said Ethan Coen doesn’t “want To make movies anymore,” and Joel Coen himself said last year that “none of the decisions are definitive.” It sounds like they’re taking a break from one another in the meantime? Regardless, it seems like Ethan Coen does want to make movies still because he’s already made two of them. The doc “Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble In Mind” premiered last year at Cannes, and Coen’s follow-up film is done, has a new title, a release date, and some narrative details finally.
READ MORE: Ethan Coen On The Coen Brothers Split: “None Of The Decisions Are Definitive.”
First off, up until now, we didn’t know much about it other than it starred Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan and that Ethan Coen directed it from a script he co-wrote and produced with Tricia Cooke (his wife). Now we know the film is a comedy caper and it’s called “Drive-Away Dolls.” Focus Features and Working Title will release the film in theaters on September 22, 2023.
“Drive-Away Dolls” has also revealed more of its cast, including Beanie Feldstein, Pedro Pascal, Colman Domingo, Bill Camp, and Matt Damon. (Pedro Pascal, Domingo, and Damon’s participation are definitely new reveals).
Producers on the film include Ethan Coen, Tricia Cooke, Robert Graf, Tim Bevan, and Eric Fellner. Here’s the official synopsis:
Written by Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke, this comedy caper follows Jamie, an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend, and her demure friend Marian who desperately needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way. Directed by Ethan Coen.
Maybe this synop means the criminals in the film include Pascal, Camp, Domingo, and Damon? Sounds like a safe bet.
Focus Features will distribute “Drive-Away Dolls” in the U.S., with Universal Pictures International handling international distribution. A September 22, 2023 release date all but ensures a festival bow. Either the Toronto International Film Festival—which seems like the most likely given the sound of the film’s tone—or the Venice Film Festival and Telluride, or hell, maybe a super anticipated picture like this shows up at all three. Either way, it’s a terrific director, cast, and intriguing-sounding storyline, so we are definitely there.