The Coen Brothers to Write and Direct ‘Black Money’ Based on Classic Crime Novel

Joel and Ethan Coen are currently in post-production on Hail, Caesar!, their 1950s Hollywood film that hits theaters early next year. In the meantime, the writing and directing duo are already looking ahead to their next project, which once again sees them entering the bleak world of crime.

According to THR, the Coens will write a screenplay based on Black Money, Ross Macdonald’s classic 1966 crime novel. The story centers on Lew Archer, a man hired to investigate a charismatic Frenchman who ran off with his client’s girlfriend. As Archer digs deeper into his target’s history, he learns that the Frenchman is connected to a seven-year-old suicide and has accrued a mountain of gambling debts.

Macdonald had an entire series of crime novels and short stories featuring private investigator Lew Archer, beginning with The Moving Target. That story was adapted into the 1966 film Harper, starring Paul Newman. His second Archer story, The Drowning Pool, was also adapted into a film starring Newman in 1975.

The Coens are developing the screenplay with plans to direct. The brothers have often explored the world of crime and noir, with films like Blood Simple, Fargo and No Country for Old Men.

Their next film is Hail, Caesar!, an old Hollywood comedy starring George Clooney, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Tilda Swinton and Scarlett Johansson. That film is scheduled for a February 5, 2016. We should be seeing the first trailer for Hail, Caesar! in the next month.