Coen Brothers Find Their 'True Grit' Mattie Ross

We’ve known for some time that the Coen Bros. are going to be making a new adaptation of "True Grit," which is a novel written by Charles Portis and was made famous by a 1969 John Wayne movie (in which Wayne won his only Oscar).

There’s four main characters in "True Grit," three of which have actors already attached to them: Jeff Bridges is starring as U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn (the role Wayne originally played), Matt Damon will be playing the roles of La Beouf (the lawman Cogburn teams up with) and Josh Brolin will play Tom Chaney (the killer of a 14-year-old girl’s father). The fourth role is, of course, the young girl.

Deadline Hollywood now reports that after auditioning more than 15,000 teenage girls, Hailee Steinfeld was chosen to play Mattie Ross, the "14-year old spitfire" whose father is killed in cold blood. I haven't seen Hailee Steinfeld in anything before, but I can't wait to see this film because it sounds like a potentially fantastic remake, especially in the hands of the Coens.

Ross’s role is a key one in the original novel; she enlists the help of Cogburn to track down her father's killer. The book is very much filtered through Mattie’s point-of-view, and it sounds like a tough role, but the Coens obviously wouldn’t have chosen someone who wasn’t up to the task. I, for one, trust their judgment – their track record has certainly earned my faith.

Are you excited for a "True Grit" remake made by the Coen Bros.? What do you think of the cast so far?

"True Grit" hits theater December 25, 2010.
More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: Screen Rant, First Showing

'True Grit' Remake Cast Updates

Variety is reporting that Matt Damon and Josh Brolin are in talks to star in Joel and Ethan Coen's "True Grit," the remake of the 1969 film that earned John Wayne his only Oscar. They will be joining the previously announced Jeff Bridges, who will step into The Duke's shoes and play U.S. marshal Rooster Cogburn.

On top of directing, the Coens have also written the script (as they do with virtually all their films) which is said to be more faithful to the original Charles Portis novel than the 1969 film.

IGN asked Joel and Ethan Coen about their "True Grit" remake. The directors confirmed Matt Damon and Josh Brolin’s attachment to the film. They also gave more info on the plot, particularly emphasizing how it differs from the John Wayne original movie and is keeping more with the Charles Portis novel.

Here’s what the filmmaking duo had to say:

“Yes. Jeff, Matt and Josh, that’s true - something that you read in the trades that actually turns out to be true!”

“It’s partly a question of point-of-view. The book is entirely in the voice of the 14-year-old girl. That sort of tips the feeling of it over a certain way. I think [the book is] much funnier than the movie was so I think, unfortunately, they lost a lot of humor in both the situations and in her voice.”

“Another way in which it’s a little bit different from the movie - and maybe this is just because of the time the movie was made - is that it’s a lot tougher and more violent than the movie reflects. Which is part of what’s interesting about it.”

“I [Joel] don’t actually remember the movie too well, but I do remember it as being much more of a standard western, and the book is just an oddity. It’s a very odd book.”

Damon will play the lawman (called La Boeuf in the original, played by Glen Campbell) who teams up with Cogburn, while Brolin will play the man who kills a 14-year old girl’s father. The girl has yet to be cast but it's a role that brought Kim Darby some serious attention as she stood toe-to-toe with Wayne.

Adding to writing and directing duties, the Coens will also produce "True Grit" alongside Steven Spielberg and Scott Rudin. Paramount is set to put the film into production next March for a release late next year.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Source: First Showing, Rope of Silicon, Screen Rant