Ethan Coen has revealed why he and his brother, director Joel Coen, no longer direct movies together. Known as the Coen Brothers, they are widely known as some of the greatest directors of all time, making some of the most beloved and critically acclaimed films, including Blood Simple, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men, and the remake of True Grit. 2018’s The Ballad of Buster Scruggs seemed to mark the last film the duo would make together, as they then pursued separate passion projects. Joel directed The Tragedy of Macbeth, while Ethan helmed Drive Away Dolls, and now the upcoming Honey Don’t!.
While speaking with Collider, alongside his wife and Honey Don’t! co-writer Tricia Cooke, Ethan touched on why he and Joel Coen don’t direct together anymore. It appears it had nothing to do with any big falling out. Ethan stepped away from directing after The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, citing exhaustion. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ethan began work on the documentary Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind, and wanted to get back into directing. By that point, Joel was already working on his own projects, and Ethan decided to dust off some old scripts of his, including Drive Away Dolls. Ethan said:
“Neither of us knew what the other would be doing or not. After the last movie we made together, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, I was like, ‘I can’t do another one. This is too hard. I’m out.’ And Joel went on to do Macbeth. And then COVID happened, and we were locked down — me and Tricia — and we had the opportunity to do this documentary with all archival footage – and that was kind of great. So I kind of got interested again, and we have these scripts, but Joel was working on his thing, so we kind of got out of sync. Now, there was never a decision by the two of us to do movies separately.”
Will the Coen Brothers Ever Reunite for Another Film?
Since the Coen Brothers went their separate ways, the duo’s individual projects have felt like reflections of the dual nature of their previous films. Joel’s The Tragedy of Macbeth can be compared to their dramas, such as The Man Who Wasn’t There, No Country for Old Men, and Inside Llewyn Davies. Meanwhile, Ethan’s two feature films, Drive-Away Dolls and Honey Don’t!, feel like spiritual successors to the duo’s comedies, such as Raising Arizona, The Big Lebowski, and Burn After Reading. Joel has already lined up his next project, Jack of Spades, starring Josh O’Connor.
Of the two, Joel has had the stronger solo directing career when it comes to critical reception. The Tragedy of Macbeth earned rave reviews, including a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, and was nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Production Design at the Academy Awards. Meanwhile, Ethan’s films have received mixed responses. Drive-Away Dolls earned a 63% on Rotten Tomatoes, while Honey Don’t! has a 47% rating, making it the lowest-scoring film amongst all the Coen Brothers’ titles.
Neither Joel nor Ethan Coen has ruled out working together again, so the door remains open. Right now, the two are just on different paths, as Ethan and his wife Tricia Cooke look to wrap up what they describe as the “lesbian B-movie trilogy” that began with Drive-Away Dolls and continues with Honey Don’t!. The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on numerous individuals and aspects of the movie industry, and the Coen Brothers were no exception. If the day does come, though, and the duo collaborate again, it will certainly be an event film for many.
Honey Don’t!
- Release Date
-
August 22, 2025
- Runtime
-
90 Minutes
- Director
-
Ethan Coen
- Writers
-
Tricia Cooke, Ethan Coen
- Producers
-
Eric Fellner, Robert Graf
Source link
