Why the Coen Brothers Steered Clear of a Big Lebowski Spin-Off
The Coen brothers gave a half-hearted nod to a spin-off about Jesus Quintana, but kept their distance. John Turturro’s solo project flopped, raising questions about what makes a true Coen film.
When Joel and Ethan Coen decide not to make a film, that’s the end of it. The pair have built a reputation for doing things their own way, never bowing to studio pressure or letting anyone talk them into projects they’re not keen on. Yet, there’s one film connected to their world that they never wanted to see made, and they made sure to keep well away from it. Their only involvement was a reluctant go-ahead, more to stop the constant pestering than out of any real interest.
Before the brothers went their separate ways, they were united on one thing: revisiting old ground was at the very bottom of their to-do list. There was the odd chat about a Barton Fink follow-up, and thanks to its cult following, they were often asked about a possible sequel to The Big Lebowski—especially since Jeff Bridges was all for it. Neither of those ever got off the ground, but a spin-off did sneak through.
Jesus Quintana: From Side Character to Centre Stage
John Turturro’s Jesus Quintana was one of the more colourful figures in The Big Lebowski, but most punters would agree he worked best in small doses. Turturro, though, had other ideas. Since the early 2000s, he’d been pushing to give Jesus his own film, but he needed the Coens’ blessing to get it off the ground. It turned into a drawn-out battle of attrition, with Turturro saying, “If I can get the permission I need, I’d like to return to that role.” He was the only one really pushing for more stories from the Lebowski universe, and it seemed to wear thin with the filmmakers.
“John Turturro, who wants it, talks to us incessantly about doing a sequel about his character, Jesus,”
Ethan once said.
“He even has the story worked out, which he’s pitched to us a few times, but I can’t really remember it. No, I don’t see it in our future.”
The Jesus Rolls: A Spin-Off Without Its Creators
True to their word, the Coens kept their distance from The Jesus Rolls. Turturro got the green light to make his film, and the brothers received a token ‘based on’ credit for the original screenplay, but that was the extent of their involvement. The big question: can you make a Coen-style film without the Coens? Judging by the reaction, not really. The Jesus Rolls was made on a modest $4.5 million budget, but it barely scraped together $65,000 at the box office. Critics weren’t kind either, with many wondering why anyone thought the sleazy bowling bloke needed his own story in the first place.
No Harm Done to the Coens’ Legacy
On the bright side, since the Coens had nothing to do with the project beyond their disinterested approval, it didn’t tarnish their body of work or the reputation of The Big Lebowski. The spin-off stands alone, a curious footnote rather than a blemish on the original’s legacy.