I’ll just go right ahead and say that the Coen Brothers must be planning on hitting every genre they can before they retire. They have already covered classical and biblical adaptations, film noir, the western, the screwball comedy, the epic journey, and various forms of crime stories. Recently they mentioned their ongoing work on a ‘sandals movie’ set in ancient Rome and now the brothers say that there’s another genre they can mark off their list, as they take on the musical comedy.
Talking with Vulture (via The Playlist), the Coens revealed that they have yet another film up their sleeves, this one featuring “traditional musical numbers.” Ethan claims that it’s “not a musical per se” but apparently he would classify it as a “musical comedy.” I am not entirely certain what that means, but I like it.
Some speculation has arisen about whether this is the movie about an opera singer which the Coen Brothers mentioned during Telluride. That would make a good bit of sense, as it would feature traditional musical numbers without being quite what we usually call a musical. Instead it would be more like an opera, or a comedy with staged opera numbers.
The Coens often feature musical performances in their films, from George Clooney in O Brother Where Art Thou? to their latest film Inside Llewyn Davis, so a musical comedy seems less of a far-fetched idea than the ancient Rome film the brothers have also discussed.
What we can take away from all this teasing is that we will have another Coen Brothers movie to enjoy before long. Whether it’s the tale of an opera singer, an ancient Roman adventure, a Hollywood musical or a crazed combination of any of the above, it will be sure to be a grand cinematic experience.
What do you think of the Coens’ plans for a musical comedy? Let us know in the comments below.
