The Duke Abides: Jeff Bridges to Play John Wayne's Rooster Cogburn in Coen Brothers' 'True Grit' Remake

The NY Daily News is one of many entertainment sites to report that Jeff Bridges is teaming up with the Oscar-winning Coen Brothers in their upcoming remake of the John Wayne 1969 classic western, True Grit.

Bridges, who first worked with Joel and Ethan Coen in the cult comedy The Big Lebowski, is assumed to be portraying Rooster Cogburn, the anti-hero portrayed by John Wayne in his Oscar-winning role.

The character of Rooster Cogburn in the original True Grit was a hard-drinking, one-eyed U.S. marshal who helps a young girl hunt down the man who killed her father. The time period the story is post-American Civil War.

It might be hard to imagine Bridges, the man who brought the rug-loving, white-Russian-drinking, self-proclaimed pacifist, Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski, to life, in the role of Rooster Cogburn. However, Bridges has recently proven he could skew darker, playing sinister roles in Iron Man and the Christmas 2010 release of Tron: Legacy.

This will be Jeff Bridges' second western with the Coen Brothers. The Big Lebowski was an unconventional western, but the tumbleweed imagery and Sam Elliott's cowboy character gave it some western elements. Essentially, The Big Lebowski is a town feud with one man caught in the middle, albeit, unlike A Fistful of Dollars, circumstances are comically against his will.

This would not be their first remake of a previously made film. The Ladykillers, starring Tom Hanks, was a critical and commercial failure. Although the Coens are remaking True Grit, they are essentially adapting the Charles Portis novel as opposed to adapting the original film, especially as being told from the perspective of the young girl.

The Coens' True Grit has a tentative release year in 2011, as they are working as a Woody Allen-esque pace. The spy comedy Burn After Reading was their last release. Their upcoming black comedy A Serious Man debuts on October 2nd. Unlike their last few films, A Serious Man boasts no major stars or household names. IMDB.com has them currently in pre-production on a 1920s period piece entitled Hail Caesar.

The Coen Brothers have been churning out quality movies since 1984's Blood Simple. Joel directs, Ethan produces. Emulating the works of 1940s screenwriter, the Brothers' combination of sharp, funny dialogue, eye for smart cinematography, and stable of favored actors (John Goodman, John Turturro, Steve Buscemi, Frances McDormand, and George Clooney) has earned them a devoted sect of followers who relish in the "Coen Brothers style."

NY Daily News, "Jeff Bridges may take John Wayne role in Coen Bros. remake of True Grit"