Like buses you wait ages and then two come along at once! News gathers apace on No Country For Old Men, more from Empire Online… We reported yesterday that the Coen Brothers No Country For Old Men was due to go into production in May. Today comes the news that Javier Bardem and Tommy Lee Jones are in talks to lead the cast. The story of a young man who takes a fortune in cash from a dead body he finds near the Rio Grande, only to find himself at risk from drug dealers and hit men. We’re guessing that Bardem and Jones are down to play the bad guy and local sheriff respectively, but we’ll keep you up to date as we learn more. Bardem is predominantly known for his excellent dramatic work in Before Night Falls and The Sea Inside, but he had some comedy roles earlier in his career, so the Coens could really bring out his lighter side. Recently the Coens have been skewing a little too close to mainstream – not that popularity and quality are mutually exclusive but bigger budgets seem to have diluted the creativity they had when they were working with a 48p and as much John Turturro as they could carry. Here’s hoping this sees them back on form.

Finally some concrete news about the Coen’s next movie. Looks like it is going to be No Country For Old Men. This from Empire Online… Joel and Ethan Coen are set to make No Country For Old Men, based on the novel by Cormac “All The Pretty Horses” McCarthy. The story is set in Texas, where Llewellyn Moss, a young farmhand hunting antelope near the Rio Grande, stumbles across some dead bodies, a stash of heroin and a suitcase full of money. He takes the money and runs. But after two more men are murdered, the local sheriff gets involved and an ex-Special Forces hitman is called in to retrieve the money, things get dangerous for young Moss. The Coens have adapted the script from McCarthy’s novel. Scott Rudin is producing the film, and it is due to start shooting in Texas and New Mexico in May.

The Guardian had a great review of Cormac McCarthy’s book, No Country For Old Men on Saturday which you can read by hitting the link here. Just from reading this review and, of course, knowing that the Coen brothers may be making a movie of it, was enough for me to have ordered the book which is out in the UK on November 4th. Sounds like it’s right up the Coen’s alley, let’s hope it comes off unlike To The White Sea.

According to a Variety article dated 28th August the brothers Coen have also agreed to write and direct an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s new novel, “No Country for Old Men.” You can read the synopsis of said book over at Amazon but I wouldn’t hold my breath on this one..

Thanks to Stephen Glitheroe (again).