True Grit - the remake.

[shooter32]

Josh Brolin and Matt Damon to Star in Coen's 'True Grit' Remake
by Elisabeth Rappe Oct 26th 2009 // 6:40PM

Filed under: Action, Classics, Drama, Casting, Newsstand, Remakes and Sequels, Western

It's impossible to top an icon like John Wayne, but the Coen Bros' True Grit is shaping up to have a better supporting cast than the original did. (Hey, Wayne supposedly didn't like Kim Darby either.) Variety has just announced that Matt Damon and Josh Brolin are in talks to join Jeff Bridges in the Coens' remake.

Bridges will play Rooster Cogburn, while Damon is in talks to play La Boeuf, the Texas Ranger who pairs up with Cogburn and Mattie. I'll probably anger the Glen Campbell fans out there, but I think this is a vast improvement over the original casting. I can actually buy Damon as a Texas Ranger.

Brolin will be taking a walk on the nasty side, as he'll be playing Tom Chaney, the man who gunned Mattie's father down for the gold he had in his saddlebag. While Chaney wasn't the most pleasant fellow in the original, there's no doubt that Brolin will increase the menace and nastiness. I think we can all agree Brolin has done no wrong since his No Country For Old Men comeback, and this is the kind of role that'll be delicious to watch him tear into. The film is set to go into production in March 2010, and the Coens won't waste any time in the editing room as it's slated to be released in late 2010.

[MikeBjerum]

I've said it before - The number of movies to be made is only limited by the imagination's ability to tell a story.  Don't mess with retelling a classic!  Movies about Robin Hood, the Three Musketeers, and Scrooge are all examples of movies that can be redone both good and bad.  Why take a chance on not measuring up and ruining a classic?

The lame reason I can see for a "remake" is to capitalize on the classic name.  And, the only acceptable reason, in my mind, to do a remake is if the director, producer, screenwriters, and leads get together and determine they can do it better or update it.

[Ulmus]

I'm kind of torn on this one, too.

I liked the remake of "The Alamo"  with Billy Bob Thorton but wasn't as excited with "3:10 to Yuma".  Shooter's right about the supporting cast though.  They fit well.

I'll have to wait and see the teasers before making judgement.

[tombogan03884]

 Another reason for a "remake" of a given story is to return to a book and do a new screen play that better expresses the feel of the book.
I have to agree the biggest jarring note of the original True Grit was that as an actor Glenn Campbell was a good singer, He stunk.

[Rob10ring]

We don't get too many westerns, so I'm still excited. With the Coen brothers doing it, I'll expect it to be a whole other entity. It's a real shame that the featured actors are big ol' lefties, but that's Hollywood today. Even retelling stories can be render different results. We saw that when Tombstone and Wyatt Earp came out not too far apart.

[Sponsor]

[crusader rabbit]

Sounds like a believable cast.  Campbell was ordoriferous.  This should be better.  As mentioned above, we don't get that many westerns and I grew up with Hoppy, Roy, Gene, and the Lone Ranger.  Still love that stuff.

[jaybet]

Glen Campbell...now that's an odd story. Campbell did some bad acting and had that silly show on tv ("HAAAAII, AAHHMM GLEN CAAYYMMBLE!!!"). Like many in the entertainment world nearly his ENTIRE career success was found outside of his greatest talent. You saw a little of it on his tv show, but Campbell was one of the BEST pickers in his time. He was a highly sought-after session player. There's a story that he was working on a session for Frank Sinatra. After awhile Sinatra says to someone in the production staff, "Hey, what's with that guitar player? Is he gay or something?"

Campbell could play rings around a lot of his contemporaries in many musical genres. BUT...he made his money mostly on commercial crap. Art....go figure.

Another modern guy like that is John Mayer. He sings a bunch of sappy teenage type songs and makes money on them, but he is one of the best guitar players you could ever hear. He's just got AWESOME licks. Check him out at one of those Clapton Crossroads concerts...they guy is a monster guitar player and 95% of the public doesn't even know it.

[shooter32]

Another modern guy like that is John Mayer. He sings a bunch of sappy teenage type songs and makes money on them, but he is one of the best guitar players you could ever hear. He's just got AWESOME licks. Check him out at one of those Clapton Crossroads concerts...they guy is a monster guitar player and 95% of the public doesn't even know it.

Totally agree on John Mayer, my boys turned me on to him. He indeed is a great guitar player!!

[2HOW]

just look at the 2 Earp movies , one was a dog and the other, "Tombstone" was great. The original is usually hard to beat.

[ericire12]

Gun Porn: The guns of True grit
http://www.imfdb.org/index.php?title=True_Grit