"Eight-year-olds, dude."
– Walter Sobchak, The Big Lebowski
It feels like forever ago when we first received word of John Turturro wanting to develop a film centered around his THE BIG LEBOWSKI character, Jesus Quintana. Now, an Italian-speaking trailer for the project, titled THE JESUS ROLLS, has emerged from the ball return and is ready to throw a strike online. The footage gives us our first and best look at the long-gestating solo sequel, and finds Turturro back in the plum-colored pants of one of Hollywood's most notorious on-screen pederasts.
Written and directed by Turturro, THE JESUS ROLLS finds the title character at the center of a loose retelling of Bertrand Blier’s 1974 French comedy-drama GOING PLACES. In the trailer, we find Quintana emerging from a prison stint and greeted by two compatriots played by Bobby Cannavale (ANT-MAN, THE IRISHMAN) and Audrey Tautou (AMELIE, DIRTY PRETTY THINGS). The group soon finds themselves on the bad side of a tough-and-tumble hairsresser played by Jon Hamm, transforming Quintana's new lease on life into a game of survival from the cops as well as those who wish to put a bullet in his hair-netted head. Joining Turturro, Cannavale and Tautou for the film are Christopher Walken, Susan Sarandon and Gloria Reuben, among others.
While speaking with The Independent back in June, Turturro explained to the outlet that THE JESUS ROLLS is “a bit of a racy movie.” He then elaborated by saying, “It shows how stupid men are. That’s what the movie is kinda about — the women are the stronger, more together characters. I had to tweak it a little bit but now I feel really good about it. It’s basically an exploration of Jesus getting out of jail. It’s a comedy but a very human comedy.”
While THE JESUS ROLLS is set to open in Italy next month, North American audiences will have to wait until sometime in 2020 to experience Jesus' next misadventure. For those of you who're wondering if any of Joel and Ethan Coen's other Big Lebowski characters will appear in the movie, sadly, the answer is no. Neither Joel or Ethan played any part in the making of THE JESUS ROLLS, though they've given Turturro their blessing to tell his story. “They’re my friends, close friends, and were supportive when I said I wanna explore this character more,” Turturro said. “They said, you gotta do it cause we’re not doing it! If I have something to show, I show it to them if they’re around.”
We'll be sure to bring you any updates regarding the North American relese of THE JESUS ROLLS as they happen.