Ethan Coen’s Drive-Away Dolls delayed to 2024

Last Updated on August 3, 2023

The brakes have been pumped on Ethan Coen’s upcoming solo directing effort, Drive-Away Dolls, which has become one of the latest victims of both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

Drive-Away Dolls was originally set for a September 22nd release, but has been pushed back to February 23rd, 2024. It has also been surmised that this will also take it out of box office competition with Craig Gillespie’s Dumb Money, about a group of Reddit users who caused a “short squeeze” on GameStop’s stock. Dumb Money could also find itself as an Oscar contender, hitting on that subgenre of real-life financial dramedies that make you feel smart even though you only understood about 30% of it. Hey, The Big Short cleared five Academy Award nominations, and with a Toronto Film Festival debut also behind it, it could be part of the scene.

But enough about Craig Gillespie. Drive-Away Dolls was getting much attention for being Ethan Coen’s solo directing debut (not counting the documentary Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind), breaking away from older brother Joel. The duo hasn’t helmed a movie together since 2018’s The Ballad of Buster Scruggs – but don’t worry, the fellas do have plans to reunite. Of note, Joel Coen made his solo outing with 2021’s The Tragedy of MacBeth, which was well-received by critics.

Drive-Away Dolls is about “an uninhibited free spirit (Margaret Qualley) bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend, and her demure friend Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan), 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.” The cast also includes Beanie Feldstein, Pedro Pascal, Matt Damon, and more.

The news of Drive-Away Dolls’ delay is a bit of a disappointment. While the trailer may not have built the loudest buzz, it will be nice to see how Ethan Coen handles a solo outing. He co-wrote the script with wife and frequent Coen Bros. collaborator Tricia Cooke.

Are you looking forward to Ethan Coen’s Drive-Away Dolls? Do you think its release shift could affect its box office? Let us know in the comments section below!