How the Coen Brothers’ Remake of The Ladykillers Went Off the Rails
The Coen brothers’ attempt at remaking The Ladykillers was fraught with doubts and creative missteps, leading to what many consider their weakest film together.
It’s never a bright idea for a director or actor to jump into a project they’re not fully behind. That goes double for filmmakers with a signature style, like the Coen brothers, who usually have a hand in every stage of their films. After two decades of turning out some of the most original and celebrated American films of the late 20th century, Joel and Ethan Coen seemed ready for a shake-up. But in trying to recharge, they nearly ran themselves dry.
The early 2000s were a bit odd for the pair. Their first film of the new millennium, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, was a wild, offbeat comedy, while The Man Who Wasn’t There was packed with all their usual quirks and tricks. Then came accusations that they’d sold out. With Intolerable Cruelty, a glossy rom-com starring George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones, they hadn’t even planned to direct. When Ron Howard and Jonathan Demme dropped out, the Coens stepped in, delivering a film that was solid but hardly memorable.
Reluctant Directors and a Rocky Start
Their next move was even stranger. Once again, they hadn’t planned to direct, only to write a new version of the British classic The Ladykillers for Barry Sonnenfeld. Despite having Tom Hanks in the lead and the Coens’ creative minds at the helm, there was a sense from the start that things weren’t quite right. Hanks himself admitted,
‘I know that when it comes time to talk to English papers, they’ll just crucify us for doing it. 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.’
It wasn’t just the British press who were sceptical. The film didn’t really win over anyone. When the people making a film admit they weren’t inspired, it’s usually a warning sign. Joel Coen said,
‘In the abstract, we never would have said, “Let’s remake The Ladykillers.”’
Ethan added,
‘We wrote it for Barry Sonnenfeld, who was going to direct.’
Hesitation on All Sides
Even Hanks wasn’t convinced at first, except for the fact that the Coens were involved. He said,
‘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.’
But with the Coens attached, he gave it a go. That uncertainty showed up on screen. The end result did alright at the box office, but it’s widely seen as the weakest film the Coens have made together.
Even the best in the business can’t always save a project that feels doomed from the outset. That was the case here. On the upside, their next film was No Country for Old Men—a massive return to form.