Mr. Oscar…Meet Mr. Pulitzer: Coen Brothers to Adapt Chabon’s Latest

Written by: Rob Van Winkle, CC2K Staff Writer

In an announcement that is sure to excite both movie AND literary geeks worldwide, it was revealed that Joel and Ethan Coen will follow up No Country for Old Men by adapting Michael Chabon's The Yiddish Policemen's Union for the screen. The deal was made prior to the Writers' Guild strike, and the brothers will work on the project as soon as the strike is settled.

If this pairing of filmmakers and author excites you…you should hear what Chabon himself has to say:

"I am, of course, over the moon about this. They are among my favorite living moviemakers. Three or four of their films are on my all-time favorite list. They are geniuses. What's more, I think they are perfectly suited to this material in every way, from its genre(s) to its tone to its content. I can't wait to see what they eventually do with it."

For those who don't know TYPU, it is a typical noir mystery thriller, following a flawed hero as he attempts to solve the murder of an unknown fellow hotel tenant, only to find himself unraveling a vastly complicated and dangerous plot in the process. However, UNLIKE your typical noir mystery thriller, this story pre-supposes that the world's Jews were granted Alaska as their post-Holocaust homeland on a long lease (something that was actually discussed, it turns out), and that this lease is about to end. Thus, the mystery is sprinkled with a liberal flavoring of the Jewish culture, as well as a generous supply of hopelessness.

A mystery tinged with despair? What in the WORLD makes the Coen Brothers think they can handle THAT?

Oh right…all those awesome movies they did.

This is gonna be good.