Ethan Coenhas revealed why he and his brother, directorJoel Coen, no longer direct movies together. Known as the Coen Brothers, they are widely known as some of the greatest directors of all time, making some of the most beloved and critically acclaimed films, includingBlood Simple,Fargo,The Big Lebowski,No Country for Old Men, and the remake ofTrue Grit. 2018’sThe Ballad of Buster Scruggsseemed to mark the last film the duo would make together, as they then pursued separate passion projects. Joel directedThe Tragedy of Macbeth, while Ethan helmedDrive Away Dolls, and now the upcomingHoney Don’t!.
While speaking withCollider, alongside his wife andHoney Don’t!co-writer Tricia Cooke, Ethan touched on why he and Joel Coen don’t direct together anymore. It appears it had nothing to do with any big falling out. Ethan stepped away from directing afterThe Ballad of Buster Scruggs, citing exhaustion. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ethan began work on the documentaryJerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind, and wanted to get back into directing. By that point, Joel was already working on his own projects, and Ethan decided to dust off some old scripts of his, includingDrive Away Dolls. Ethan said:
“Neither of us knew what the other would be doing or not. After the last movie we made together,The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, I was like, ‘I can’t do another one. This is too hard. I’m out.’ And Joel went on to doMacbeth. And then COVID happened, and we were locked down — me and Tricia — and we had the opportunity to do this documentary with all archival footage – and that was kind of great. So I kind of got interested again, and we have these scripts, but Joel was working on his thing, so we kind of got out of sync. Now, there was never a decision by the two of us to do movies separately.”
Will the Coen Brothers Ever Reunite for Another Film?
Since the Coen Brothers went their separate ways, the duo’s individual projects have felt like reflections of the dual nature of their previous films. Joel’sThe Tragedy of Macbethcan be compared to their dramas, such asThe Man Who Wasn’t There,No Country for Old Men, andInside Llewyn Davies. Meanwhile, Ethan’s two feature films,Drive-Away DollsandHoney Don’t!,feel like spiritual successors to the duo’s comedies, such asRaising Arizona,The Big Lebowski,andBurn After Reading. Joel has already lined up his next project,Jack of Spades, starring Josh O’Connor.
Of the two, Joel has had the stronger solo directing career when it comes to critical reception.The Tragedy of Macbethearned rave reviews, including a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, and was nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Production Design at the Academy Awards. Meanwhile, Ethan’s films have received mixed responses.Drive-Away Dollsearned a 63% on Rotten Tomatoes, whileHoney Don’t!has a 47% rating, making it the lowest-scoring film amongst all the Coen Brothers' titles.
NeitherJoel nor Ethan Coen has ruled out working together again, so the door remains open. Right now, the two are just on different paths, as Ethan and his wife Tricia Cooke look to wrap up what they describe as the “lesbian B-movie trilogy” that began withDrive-Away Dollsand continues withHoney Don’t!. The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on numerous individuals and aspects of the movie industry, and the Coen Brothers were no exception. If the day does come, though, and the duo collaborate again, it will certainly be an event film for many.
Honey Don’t!
