The Coen brothers have a number of unrealized projects; here’s each of their unmade movies, and a look at why they didn't happen. Notoriously elusive, the Coens (Joel and Ethan) have one of the best filmographies imaginable - from zany, screwball comedies to dark, existential crime dramas. Their movies refuse simple classification, yet never fail to make a distinct impression.

Known for their vivid characters, detailed settings, and witty dialogue, the Coen brothers' first feature - Blood Simple - was released in 1984 and, since then, they have written and directed many critical hits, winning four Academy Awards for Fargo and No Country For Old Men. In that same time, they've become known as two of cinema's most notable, and unique, auteurs.

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Over the years, and in various interviews, the Coens have discussed a number of projects that - for one reason or another - have yet to be produced. In typical Coen style, this list is as sprawling and disparate as their actual filmography, presenting an alternate-universe wherein they’d made a Cold War comedy, or a WWII film starring Brad Pitt. While most of these projects appear to be dead in the water, a few of them might hit theater screens yet.

62 Skidoo

The American - George Clooney

Back in 2001, Joel Coen told IGN that he and Ethan had a “Cold War comedy” script written, called 62 Skidoo. While this statement has yet to be elaborated on, it's possible to glean some information from the title alone. ‘62’ is likely a reference to the year that the movie is set: 1962 at the height of the Cold War, with the Cuban Missile Crisis occurring in October of that same year. The title also references the American slang phrase “23 skidoo” which means ‘leaving quickly’ or being ‘forced to leave’.

From this, it's likely that the film was about an American spy during the Cold War trying to evade enemy forces. Essentially, the Coen Brothers’ take on a James Bond flick - with a heavy dose of Dr. Strangelove-esque satire and (had it been made) another handsome idiot role for George Clooney to sink his teeth into. It’s possible that elements from this script made their way into Burn After Reading - a spy comedy released in 2008 - and Hail, Caesar! from 2016, which featured a Communist threat.

Black Money

Hail, Caesar - Josh Brolin, Scarlett Johansson, Coen brothers

In 2015, Deadline suggested that Warner Bros. had optioned the rights to Ross Macdonald’s 1966 novel Black Money with the Coens set to write and direct an adaptation. The novel is the thirteenth to feature Lew Archer, a private detective, and tells the story of his investigation into a mysterious Frenchman with sinister ties. Often described as film noir meets The Great Gatsby, it fits the Coen sensibility to a T - with plenty of colorful supporting characters and a rich period setting.

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Previously played on film by Paul Newman (as Lew Harper), Archer would be a good role for frequent Coen-collaborator Josh Brolin, and the film would likely be closer in tone to The Man Who Wasn’t There, rather than the brothers’ more obviously comedic efforts. Since the original article, nothing further has been said about Black Money, suggesting that the project has likely been scrapped - or didn’t exist in the first place.

Dark Web

No Country For Old Men - Javier Bardem, Coen brothers

In 2016, THR reported that the Coens were attached to write Dark Web, based on an article by Joshuah Bearman, about real-life criminal Ross Ulbricht - who built an illegal online drug market, the Silk Road, before allegedly hiring hitmen to eliminate former employees and other competition. While the Coen brothers might appear to have clout in the true crime genre, Fargo is (contrary to its opening caption card) almost entirely fictional. That said, they did write Unbroken and Bridge of Spies - both based on historical events, and both generally well-received. Dark Web’s production status is currently unknown, though is assumed to have hit some kind of road-block.

Harve Karbo

Eddie grabs Baird's collar in Hail, Caesar

In 2011, THR reported that the Coens intended to enter the world of television - creating a series for Fox called Harve Karbo about a private detective in LA and his offbeat buddies, with cases revolving around various Hollywood icons. Presumably, this would have taken place in a period setting, and sounds very similar in plot to Hail, Caesar! As such, the series has yet to see the light of day and was probably scrapped in favor of the aforementioned film.

Old Fink

Barton Fink - John Turturro

While promoting A Serious Man in 2009, the Coen’s spoke with MTV about a possible sequel to their 1991 film Barton Fink, titled Old Fink. The original is probably the closest the Coens have come to making a bonafide horror movie, with John Turturro as Fink - a New York playwright, snatched up by Hollywood and sent to live in a run-down L.A. hotel that could give The Shining’s Overlook a run for its money. Regarding Old Fink, Joel said, “that’s another 1967 movie. It’s the summer of love and Fink is teaching at Berkeley. He ratted on a lot of his friends to the House Un-American Activities Committee. We told Turturro this is one sequel we’d actually like to make but not until he was actually old enough to play the part”.

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Barton Fink was a critical hit, winning the 1991 Palme d’Or awards for both Best Director and Best Actor, but wasn’t nearly as successful at the box office, which is a shame - considering it might be the best of the Coens oeuvre. With Turturro now in his sixties, Old Fink is perhaps a very real possibility.

Opera Singer/Sword and Sandals

Hail, Caesar - Scarlett Johansson, George Clooney

While promoting Inside Llewyn Davis in 2013, the Coens mentioned two different projects. FilmLinc reported that the brothers were writing a movie centered around an opera singer. Later that year, the AP reported that the Coens were writing a "sword and sandals epic" set in ancient Rome, with the intention of answering life’s "big questions" - though that last part was likely in jest, given the brothers’ aversion to subtextual analysis.

Since these remarks, nothing further has been said about either project, though both could be seen as elements of Hail, Caesar! - which featured George Clooney as an actor in a sword and sandals epic, as well as various Busby Berkeley-esque musical numbers. It would appear that Hail, Caesar! scratched a lot of the Coens’ long-standing itches, with various genres and filmmaking styles incorporated into its packed narrative.

The Contemplations

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs - Book

In 1998, the Coens spoke with Alex Simon for Venice magazine, discussing a project called The Contemplations. It would be an anthology film, comprising various tales, tied together by each story’s inclusion in a leather-bound book from a “dusty old library”. It’s more than likely that this project became The Ballad of Buster Scruggs - an anthology Western that utilized the same ‘book of short stories’ framing device. Ethan had previous experience with short-form storytelling, his short story collection, Gates of Eden, being published in 1998.

Related: The Big Lebowski Has a Great Inside Joke For Peter Stormare's Fargo Character

The Yiddish Policemen’s Union

The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon

In 2008, the Guardian announced that the Coens were attached to write and direct an adaptation of Michael Chabon’s novel The Yiddish Policemen’s Union. In a 2012 interview with Mother Jones, Chabon spoke about the project: “The Coen brothers wrote a draft of a script and then they seemed to move on. The rights have lapsed back to me”. It’s a real shame that this project failed to see the light of day, with the material suiting the Coen sensibility.

Set in an independent Jewish settlement on the verge of reverting to Alaskan control, The Yiddish Policemen’s Union is an alternate-history detective story - with similar religious themes to A Serious Man and a snowy, Fargo-like setting. These similarities are likely the reason why the project was abandoned, with the Coens opting to create their own narrative rather than adapting any source material.

To the White Sea

Brad Pitt in Fury

In 2002, the Coens were due to shoot To the White Sea, an adaptation of a James Dickey novel of the same name. The story of an American airman who’s shot down over Japan during World War 2 and tries to make his way back to Alaska, To the White Sea was set to star Brad Pitt but was abandoned when they couldn’t get a big enough budget. Speaking with the Guardian, Joel said: “He (producer Jeremy Thomas) got very close to getting the financing for it, which on the face of it is just an insane proposition - a movie with the firebombing of Tokyo in it that's very expensive and somewhat marginal. But he came close”.

Close, maybe, but sadly no cigar. That said, the screenplay has been floating around the internet for years now, and is a terrific read - promising a nearly dialogue-free experience, which brings to mind the Coens’ No Country For Old Men, adapted from the Cormac McCarthy novel of the same name. Thus far, this is the abandoned Coen brothers project that came the closest to being made and, considering Brad Pitt’s involvement, would likely have been something very special indeed. In the present, Coen fans can look forward to Joel’s solo directorial debut, The Tragedy of Macbeth - due to be released in 2021.

Next: Every Coen Brothers Movie Ranked Worst To Best