Ethan Coen's Drive-Away Dolls Release Date, Cast, Trailer, Plot And More Details
In 2019, cinephiles were shocked to learn that Joel Coen would be directing a movie all by himself. Up until that point, Joel was best known as part of a duo — the world-renowned Coen Brothers. As they were often labeled the "two-headed director," it was impossible to imagine a world where Joel and Ethan weren't working together. Of course, when Joel's "The Tragedy of Macbeth" finally arrived, critics were all blown away, but they were all left pondering one simple question: What was Ethan Coen up to?
Well, after a period of burnout, the younger Coen Brother is back in the moviemaking game, returning with a caper called "Drive-Away Dolls." Expected to be one of the best movies of 2023, "Dolls" features a ton of Coen trademarks — over-the-top accents, less-than-intelligent criminals, and a series of mistakes that get bigger and bloodier with each passing moment. But what else do we know about the upcoming comedy? Well, buckle up and get ready for a road trip because here's everything you need to know about "Drive-Away Dolls."
When will Drive-Away Dolls be released?
"Drive-Away Dolls" has been spinning its wheels for quite some time. Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke — Coen's wife and longtime editor — penned the screenplay almost two decades ago. While they would do a hefty rewrite before rolling film, the idea has been living in their brains for quite some time. They even storyboarded the whole thing years ago, according to an interview with Collider, and now, "Drive-Away Dolls" will be pulling up to a theater near you ... but when?
Well, Ethan Coen's first stand-alone feature was supposed to hit theaters on September 22, 2023. However, distributor Focus Features has decided to kick the release date back to February 23, 2024. Why? Well, Deadline reports that it's partly due to the fact that Coen is a member of the Writers Guild of America and thus couldn't promote the film during the now-concluded writers' strike. The trade also surmised that Focus didn't necessarily want its comedy competing against "Dumb Money," the real-life comedy based on the 2021 GameStop short squeeze.
What is the plot of Drive-Away Dolls?
According to the official plot synopsis for "Drive-Away Dolls," the film is a comedy caper that "follows Jamie, an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend, and her demure friend Marian who desperately needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way."
Thanks to the film's trailer, we know a little bit more about those aforementioned idiot crooks. They've got something valuable stored away in the back of a car, but when our two heroes take their jaunt down to Florida, they wind up with the villains' vehicle thanks to a classic Coen mix-up. And when Jamie and Marian discover the mysterious briefcase hidden in the trunk, they suddenly start seeing dollar signs. It also appears that sparks will fly between the two women, all while they do their best to outsmart and outmaneuver the thugs trying to track them down.
Who is starring in Drive-Away Dolls?
Everybody in Hollywood wants to work with the Coens, even when the brothers are going solo. For "The Tragedy of Macbeth," Joel Coen attracted big names like Denzel Washington, Brendan Gleeson, and his longtime collaborator/wife Frances McDormand. Similarly, Ethan Coen has assembled an A-list cast for "Drive-Away Dolls," with the lead roles going to Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan.
Qualley plays the free-spirited Jamie, and prior to working with Ethan Coen, she starred in projects like Netflix's "Maid," "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," "Sanctuary," and "The Leftovers." Viswanathan portrays the more uptight Marian, and before playing in "Drive-Away Dolls," she became famous for movies and TV shows like "Blockers," "Miracle Workers," and "Bad Education."
Joining Qualley and Viswanathan in this madcap adventure, we'll see the likes of Beanie Feldstein ("American Crime Story"), Pedro Pascal ("The Last of Us"), Matt Damon ("Air"), Colman Domingo ("Euphoria"), Bill Camp ("Joker"), and Annie Gonzalez ("Flamin' Hot"). And based on the trailer, it also looks like we'll be getting a psychedelic visit from the one and only Miley Cyrus.
Who is writing and directing Drive-Away Dolls?
After Joel Coen went solo with "The Tragedy of Macbeth," many wondered if Ethan Coen was done with movies. In May 2022, the younger Coen addressed the split with his brother, telling IndieWire that he was just really tired. "The last two movies we made, me and Joel together, were really difficult in terms of production," he explained. "I mean, really difficult. So if you don't have to do it, you go at a certain point: Why am I doing this?"
Evidently, Ethan is reinvigorated because he's back in the director's chair for "Drive-Away Dolls," which he co-wrote and produced with his longtime life and moviemaking partner, Tricia Cooke. She's most famous for editing some of the Coen Brothers' best movies — including "Fargo" and "The Big Lebowski" — and the two penned the script about 20 years ago. Coen says Cookie is key to making this movie happen, telling Collider, "Me and Joel couldn't have made this movie. The main characters are two lesbians, and Trish is queer." Speaking on that very topic, Cooke told Variety, "It's important that it's a queer movie and important that it doesn't take itself too seriously."
So what should we expect from the movie style-wise? Well, Coen told Variety that "Drive-Away Dolls" is "filthy fun," while Cooke explained the movie shares DNA with the Drew Barrymore thriller "Poison Ivy." In their Collider chat, the duo also compared "Dolls" to Coen movies like "The Big Lebowski," "Raising Arizona," and "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" However, Ethan Coen has said we should expect one big difference between his previous movies and this one, telling Collider, "There are sex scenes!" Cooke followed that up with a glowing bit of endorsement, saying "Drive-Away Dolls" is a "very lighthearted and fun and kind of outrageous at times, perverse, sexual, all of those things. But emphasis on not taking itself too seriously."
Is there a trailer for Drive-Away Dolls?
The trailer for "Drive-Away Dolls" is brimming with "Raising Arizona" energy and features plenty of "Fargo"-style murders and misunderstandings. It kicks off with a terrified Pedro Pascal running into an alleyway, hoping to protect his mysterious briefcase from the menacing killer in hot pursuit. Based on the way things go down, we have a hunch that the Mandalorian won't be in this movie for very long.
From there, we're introduced to our two protagonists — Jamie and Marian — hanging out in a gay bar, where we see Jamie is brimming with confidence and Marian might be the most repressed person on the planet. However, despite Jamie's laidback attitude, she's clearly suffering from some serious heartbreak. "I've had it with love," she says after a breakup. "I don't believe it's relevant to the 21st-century lesbian." With both women stuck in a rut, they decide to head off to Tallahassee for a new start, which is when they run into all sorts of bumbling crooks who happen to be armed to the teeth.
Along the way, we're introduced to Beanie Feldstein's exasperated police officer, who has no problem with macing a dude in the face on a moment's notice. We also see a trepidatious Matt Damon, who might be pulling the strings here and evidently has the hots for a 1960s-style Miley Cyrus. Complete with wonderfully goofy performances and exaggerated sound effects, the trailer for "Drive-Away Dolls" promises a bonkers good time at the movies.
Will there be a Drive-Away Dolls sequel?
The Coen Brothers aren't exactly known for their sequels. In fact, fans have long wanted to see follow-ups to films like "The Big Lebowski," but the siblings have always preferred to tell new stories instead of revisiting older titles. However, it looks like Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke are shaking things up a bit, as they have some sort of trilogy in mind — one kickstarted by "Drive-Away Dolls."
Speaking with Collider, Cooke elaborated on their hopes for a three-part series, saying, "Over the past 20 years, we've been writing this lesbian B movie trilogy. Not really a trilogy, but the idea was to write three queer B movies that I always thought would just kind of sit in the drawer, and our kids would look at one day when they were old and get some laughs. And now we've made one of them."
So it sounds like perhaps this is more a thematic trilogy, in the vein of Edgar Wright's "Three Flavours Cornetto" series or John Carpenter's "Apocalypse Trilogy." Or perhaps all three movies will take place in the same zany world, and we will see the return of Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan. We'll have to wait and find out what Coen and Cooke have in store, but we're definitely looking forward to whatever madness these two have to offer.