Hailee Steinfeld has been selected to play the lead role of Mattie Ross in the Charles Portis adaptation. Steinfeld joins Josh Brolin, Matt Damon and Jeff Bridges in what could launch her young career to stardom. Unlike the 1959 big screen adaptation in which John Wayne’s character was the lead the Coens plan to stick closer to the source material which sets Steindfeld’s Ross as the lead. It should be noted that John Wayne won his only Oscar for his role as Marshall Rooster Cogburn, the coarse hard-drinking U.S. Marshal Ross employs to track down her father’s killer. I’m looking forward to seeing Jeff Bridges as Rooster, and under the direction of the Coens again (The Big Lebowski). This will be the first time Damon has worked with the brothers Coen and second time for Josh Brolin (No Country For Old Men), who has the brothers to thank for his career turnaround. See the Coen’s True Grit in theaters this Christmas Day 2010.
The original True Grit was released in 1969, not 1959. Can't wait to see the Coen brothers' version, though I loved the original and the novel. (and I'd highly recommend the novel if you've never read it).
So excited! As a female, I’ve tended to have no interest The Duke’s films. But I came across the novel in my relentless search for cheap/free books at libraries, etc. Love it. On the back cover was mention of the “new” John Wayne film. I could, and could not, imagine him hamming it up as Rooster. Haven’t watched it. But I can’t wait to see what Coen Bros and their excellent casting instincts will create. Maybe after that, I’ll watch the original film…