Coen brothers to adapt Ross MacDonald’s Black Money

The Coen brothers have a new project lined up: the duo will be writing a script based on Ross MacDonald’s 1966 crime novel Black Money. According to Deadline, Warner Bros has optioned the film for Joel and Ethan Coen to adapt and likely direct.

One of the most acclaimed books by Ross MacDonald, Black Money follows Lew Archer after he’s hired by a jilted lover to investigate Felix Cervantes, the husband of the client’s now ex-girlfriend. The trail leads Archer through a mix of social spheres, including casinos, private clubs, luxury hotels, and seedy dives, as he finds connections to a several-years-old suicide and extreme gambling debts. The story largely takes place around Southern California, but Las Vegas and parts of Central America and Europe also come into play.

Black Money joins the Coen brothers’ impressive body of work. Together, the duo’s credits include Fargo, The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men, True Grit, and more. They’ve established themselves in the noir genre with films like Barton Fink, Fargo, and Blood Simple. Over the years, each has been nominated for 13 Academy Awards (14 combined) and have won four.

Most recently, the Coen brothers wrapped Universal Pictures’ Hail Caesar!, an ensemble comedy starring big names such as George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Channing Tatum, and Jonah Hill. They’ll also be co-writers on the upcoming drama Bridge of Spies with playwright Matt Charman, a film which is set to hit theaters on Oct. 16.

In addition to the Coens, Joel Silver is attached to the project as a producer and co-financer through Silver Pictures Entertainment, while Steve White will serve as executive producer. As it’s still early in the process, no release date for Black Money has been announced so far.

from Planet GS via John Jason Fallows on Inoreader http://ift.tt/1KU722S
Stephanie Topacio Long