John Sayles, one of the foundational figures of American independent cinema, has not directed a film in 13 years.
It’s not for a lack of trying, either. Sayles attributed his absence to a simple but frustrating reality: financiers are no longer interested, despite the fact that he has two screenplays ready to go.
If I can get the money to make a movie, I’d like to. But it’s: Stand in line. An awful lot of good directors I know haven’t directed in 5, 10, 15 years.
Some really good news: Sayles has found the money to make his next one. According to Variety, Oscar winners Amy Madigan (“Weapons”) and Chris Cooper (“Adaptation”) are set to star in “I Passed This Way,” a Western from Sayles that is scheduled to shoot this fall.
Set in 1898, “I Passed This Way” follows Ross McEwen, a restless cowboy who impulsively robs a bank and escapes into the harsh New Mexico Territory. Pursued by legendary lawman Pat Garrett and his determined young deputy, Ross hides at an isolated Mexican homestead devastated by diphtheria. As the family’s condition worsens, he faces a moral crossroads: abandon them and continue his flight to Mexico, or remain behind to care for them and inevitably face arrest. Through this struggle, Ross is forced to confront who he truly is and what kind of man he wants to become.
The film is based on Eugene Manlove Rhodes’ acclaimed novella “Pasó Por Aquí,” first serialized in The Saturday Evening Post before its 1927 publication and widely regarded as one of Rhodes’ masterpieces.
A true rarity in the industry, Sayles’ debut feature, “Return of the Secaucus Seven” (1980), helped ignite the modern indie movement nearly a decade before “Sex, Lies, and Videotape” (1989). Made on a shoestring budget of $60,000, it went on to gross $2 million at the box office, and just three years later, Hollywood remade it as “The Big Chill.”
Over the past four decades, Sayles has carved out a reputation for creating intelligent, uncompromising, character-driven films, including “Lone Star,” “Eight Men Out,” “Baby It’s You,” and “Matewan.”
At 75, Sayles has hardly been idle. Beyond directing, he has earned a reputation as a highly sought-after script doctor and has published several novels. Still, the film world would certainly welcome at least one more Sayles-directed feature, and that’s just what we’re about to get.
Lelio had been shooting his adaptation of Alejandro Zambra's acclaimed 2020 novel since September in Santiago. Production reportedly continued on November 5, the day before his death.