The Coen Brothers Are Creating A Western For TV

Ethan and Joel Coen

by James White |
Published on

UPDATE: As predicted, someone swooped in to make and distribute the show, so the Coens will now be coming to Netflix{ =nofollow}. "We are streaming, motherfuckers!" was their somewhat unexpected announcement, according to Screen International. Coen regular Tim Blake Nelson will be playing Buster, while the series is still planned as an anthology.

Their work may have made a successful transition to the small screen with Fargo, but Joel and Ethan Coen were not personally involved in that, beyond giving a few notes in the very early stages. But they've clearly decided to give television a try, setting up Western series The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs.

With the backing of Annapurna Television, the Coens plan to create a miniseries that will intertwine six different storylines. From the sounds of Variety's report, it may have started life as a film, but ended up too complicated for one movie to do the stories justice. According to the magazine's sources, there could still be a theatrical element, but that has yet to be decided.

It's exciting to consider what the duo who brought us their take on True Grit and No Country For Old Men could do with the sprawling opportunities of TV. They've apparently wrote the script based on an original idea and will direct the episodes. Now the question is whether a TV channel will want to pick it u... Oh, who are we kidding? Every channel and streaming service in existence will be trying to get in on this one.

Empire's Ultimate Guide To The Coens

Joel And Ethan Coen On The Empire Podcast

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