The Coen Brothers, writer/directors of such cinema classics as Fargo, The Big Lebowski, and Raising Arizona, are finally making their first foray into streaming territory.
And they’re not shy about it.
“We are streaming motherfuckers!” Joel and Ethan Coen said in a joint statement.
It isn’t the first time that their work has inspired the small(er) screen: Noah Hawley adapted the brothers’ 1996 Oscar winner of the same name Fargo into a critically-acclaimed show for FX.
But the Fargo TV show was made without the original directors’ involvement. This one will be all theirs.
Titled The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, the show will be a true American Western; six different intertwining stories all focusing on the American West.
Many are drawing connections to the Coen’s 2000 cult classic O Brother, Where Art Thou? There’s even a casting similarity: Tim Blake Nelson, who played Delmar O’Donnell in O Brother alongside George Clooney and John Turturro, will be playing the main and most important role of Buster.
Netflix has been moving toward more critically-acclaimed collaborations: As Netflix’s Vice President of Original Content Cindy Holland says, “The Coens are visionary directors, masterful storytellers, and colorful linguists. We are thrilled for Netflix to become home to the full range of their talents.”
Martin Scorsese’s forthcoming The Irishman will also be produced by and solely for Netflix.
The Coens, who are originally from St. Louis Park, most recently wrote and directed Hail, Caesar! which opened to mixed reviews.
No word yet on when The Ballad of Buster Scruggs will be released.
