Coen Brothers' Biggest Flop: The Movie They Never Wanted to Make
Even Hollywood's most celebrated filmmakers can stumble when they take on projects they don't believe in. The Coen brothers learned this lesson the hard way with their most criticized film.
Making movies without genuine passion rarely leads to success, particularly for visionary filmmakers like the Coen brothers who built their reputation on distinctive storytelling. After two decades of creating groundbreaking American cinema throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Joel and Ethan decided they needed something different. Their attempt to shake things up, however, nearly backfired completely.
A Strange Creative Period
The early 2000s marked an unusual chapter for the directing duo. Their millennium opener, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, showcased their signature comedic chaos, while The Man Who Wasn't There overflowed with their trademark stylistic flourishes. Critics began questioning their direction after these releases.
The accusations of "selling out" intensified when they brought George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones together for the polished romantic comedy Intolerable Cruelty. Originally, the brothers had no plans to direct this project themselves. This marked their first experience working as directors-for-hire, but when both Ron Howard and Jonathan Demme backed out, they stepped in to helm what became a solid yet unremarkable film.
The Reluctant Remake
Their next move proved even more puzzling. The Coens initially had zero interest in directing duties, instead writing a remake script of the British classic The Ladykillers for Barry Sonnenfeld to direct. Despite having Hollywood's premier directing team and Tom Hanks leading the cast, the two-time Oscar winner sensed trouble ahead.
"I know that when it comes time to talk to English papers, they'll just crucify us for doing it," Hanks told The Guardian. "But ultimately, it doesn't matter. It's not like we were gonna remake Jaws. But nor is it Scaramouche. It's this other kind of thing."
A Project Nobody Believed In
The British press wasn't alone in their criticism – the remake failed to win over audiences or critics anywhere. Warning signs appeared when the creators themselves admitted the project lacked creative spark. "In the abstract, we never would have said, 'Let's remake The Ladykillers,'" Joel acknowledged. Ethan confirmed their original intentions: "We wrote it for Barry Sonnenfeld, who was going to direct."
Even Hanks remained unconvinced about the concept itself: "If someone had said to me, 'Listen, I'm sending you a script that's a remake of The Ladykillers that Disney is making', there's just no way. I never would have got to reading it." Only the Coen brothers' involvement changed his mind, though everyone's reservations showed in the final product.
The film managed moderate box office success but stands as the weakest entry in the Coen brothers' collaborative filmography. Sometimes even the most talented people in the industry cannot overcome a fundamentally flawed premise. Fortunately, their next project, No Country for Old Men, proved they hadn't lost their touch.