Coen Brothers Cast Unknown Teen for 'True Grit'

Joel and Ethan Coen have filled out their principal cast for the upcoming remake/rebirth of True Grit. The western, famous for John Wayne's Oscar-winning portrayal of Rooster Cogburn (a character the Duke would revisit in an eponymous film a few years later), is going back to the original book for its direction, and that means a much stronger presence for a teenage actress. The character, Mattie Ross, joins Cogburn in a search for her father's killer. Cogburn will be played by Best-Actor-in-waiting Jeff Bridges, while the murderer is Josh Brolin, who, like Bridges, is also reuniting with the Coen Brothers. I had thought Saoirse Ronan (Atonement, The Lovely Bones), but the Coens had a nationwide casting call to find Mattie. And now they have. Deadline reports that Hailee Steinfeld has nabbed the key role, and while she does have a few professional credits, they're probably nothing most of us have ever heard of. Most importantly, as Deadline notes, she already has "people," signing with the powerful ICM. It's a brave new world, isn't it? But she'll probably need representation by the end of the year, anyway. True Grit will start filming pronto, and the Coens are trying to get it in theaters by late December. No doubt, Paramount hopes for an Oscar run of some kind, either for the film, the Coens, Bridges, Brolin, co-star Matt Damon, or even young Ms. Steinfeld now. It is, of course, way too early to tell what Oscar 2011 looks like. Will they stay with ten Best Picture nominees? What major film will wind up in the mix, and what late arrivals from Toronto will play the spoiler? As it stands, this is really the only prestige film outside of TRON Legacy that's even in December. Maybe the new Jim Brooks movie with Jack Nicholson, Reese Witherspoon, and Paul Rudd, but we'll see. Spanglish didn't take advantage of the same placement. But on paper, this has everything you need. And there's always room for a great western, which we sincerely hope this is.

Comments

[mike porter]

Will this film be shot in Oklahoma where the story takes place, unlike the original which was filmed in
Wyoming and Montana. The snowcapped peaks really detracted from the location shots. The low
rolling, tree shrouded rocky outcroppings of Eastern Oklahoma make a much more believeable locale
for the Cookson hills where all the notorious outlaws of the era plied their trade.

[Randall W Montalbano]

NO! It will be shot in Texas.

[boop]

Partially filmed on the Colorado river in central Texas.

[Duaine King]

Granger, Texas
About 45 minutes Northeast of Austin, Texas

[Randall W Montalbano]

I think Duaine King should get an Oscar mention.

[Tom Aussie]

Why? Why remake a classic like "True Grit"? What is wrong with Hollywood these days? This is like someone repainting the Mona Lisa!

[Jim Crutchfield]

The John Wayne "classic" is unwatchable, as far as I'm concerned, mainly because 22-year-old Kim Darby couldn't act her way out of a wet paper bag and was completely unconvincing as 14-year-old Mattie Ross. Mattie is a pistol, who should own the picture, not just be a sulky foil for Rooster Cogburn.

I just hope the Coens pay enough attention to the characters' voices and accents. One of Charles Portis's greatest talents as a novelist is capturing a character's distinctive voice and sustaining it throughout the book. If the voices don't ring true in the movie, a great deal will be lost. The Coens (and their actors) did a great job with the voices in "No Country for Old Men", as far as I could tell (I was particularly impressed with Kelly McDonald), and a pretty good job in "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" (you could tell they were thinking about it, at least, even if they hit one or two clunkers), so I'm optimistic for "True Grit".

I really can't wait!

[Andrew]

Another FLOP why not leave a classic like True Grit the way it was. I for one will not watch it and have talked to friends who share my view. I thought Kim Darby did an excellent job in the movie. Jeff Bridges in my opinion is not a tough guy image. Should have cast a strong take charge type guy.

I am disappointed with the c bros.