According to Deadline, Ethan Coen has found the leads for his first solo directing gig.
Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan are set to star in the film, which is currently untitled and will mark Coen’s first time helming a film alone having spent his entire career co-directing and writing alongside his brother Joel.
Plot details are under wraps for the project, but we know Coen has co-written the film alongside his wife Tricia Cooke. The duo are also producing with Robert Graf and Working Title’s Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner.
Coen had reportedly been meeting with talent for months, with the lead roles quickly becoming some of the more coveted parts available right now. A shortlist was made in recent weeks and chemistry readings were held. In the end, Deadline’s sources say Qualley and Viswanathan’s screen tests could not be beat.
Despite not knowing anything about the project, this will obviously be a big deal, just as Joel Coen‘s The Tragedy of Macbeth was late last year. That one starred Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand and snagged three Oscar nominations.
Qualley is probably best known right now for her TV work, having gotten her break on The Leftovers before moving on to Fosse/Verndon and the lead role in Netflix miniseries Maid.
She’ll soon be seen in Claire Denis‘ Stars at Noon, which won the Grand Prix at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. She’s also currently filming Yorgos Lanthimos‘ Poor Things.
Viswanathan broke out in 2018 comedy Blockers and has since had key roles in true story drama Bad Education and under-the-radar romantic comedy The Broken Hearts Gallery.
She’s also been a part of the main cast on anthology series Miracle Workers since 2019. She’s currently shooting Susanna Fogel‘s psychological thriller Cat Person and drama The Beanie Bubble.
Hopefully there will be more news on the details of Coen’s first solo project soon. It’s expected to begin filming within the next few months.
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