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So we all know that the classic John Wayne western True Grit is being remade, and based on past comments here and elsewhere not too many people are thrilled about it. Of course the number of folks willing to give it a chance increases when they discover that the Coen brothers are attached to direct. If you count yourself as a member of that camp that you’ll be happy to hear the movie is moving forward and may be closer to production than previously thought.

True Grit introduced Rooster Cogburn, a hard-drinking, gruff, and one-eyed US Marshall, who finds himself enlisted by a teenage girl in her quest for revenge against the man who killed her father. The pair are joined by a Texas Ranger who’s after the same man, and their quest brings them deep into Indian territory.

The question then becomes who should take on the iconic role of Cogburn that won Wayne an Oscar for Best Actor.  Lots of names were tossed around including Josh Brolin, Tom Wilkinson, Nick Nolte, and Patton Oswalt, but according to Variety one actor is actually in talks for the role right now.

Jeff Bridges is currently in negotiations with Paramount for the True Grit remake which would reunite him with the creators of The Big Lebowski.  Bridges has done gruff lawman before in Walter Hill’s Wild Bill, so he’s no stranger to the saddle or the gun.  Sadly, I doubt this means we can expect Cogburn to say things like ”The girl just wants revenge for her father’s murder, man” or “That Indian really tied the room together.”

Now that Cogburn may be cast… who should play the teenage girl?