What is going on with Joel Coen’s upcoming “Jack of Spades”? The film, which wrapped production in Glasgow around November 2025, has become a major question mark. Focus Features, who I last heard were circling the project, have not confirmed their involvement, and the film failed to show up at Cannes.
A ray of hope came in May when one of the film’s stars, Lesley Manville, told Deadline that the film would be released later this year.. Still, since then, it’s been radio silence. So, I decided to do some digging. I asked two sources, both connected to separate major fall film festivals, about the status of the film. The first, who is connected to Venice, told me they hadn’t heard a thing about it and that it wouldn’t be showing up on the Lido. The second told me it was no longer coming out this year and was now aiming for 2027.
So, with this latest update in mind, we can scratch Coen’s “Jack of Spades” off the 2026 slate.
The film stars Josh O’Connor, Lesley Manville, Frances McDormand, and Damien Lewis, but no plot details have been revealed. All we know is that it’s a “gothic mystery” set in 1880s Scotland.
Bruno Delbonnel serves as cinematographer on “Jack of Spades.” If you want a dreamlike atmosphere, then hire Delbonnel, whose work on the Coens’ “Inside Llewyn Davis” was incredible. I can also confirm that Coen regular Carter Burwell composed the score for this one—he’s been responsible for the music on almost every Coen brothers film.
It’ll be interesting to see how Joel’s solo sophomore effort turns out. “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” released in 2021, was a straightforward Shakespeare adaptation. “Jack of Spades” is more of an original effort from Joel, who also wrote the screenplay. The talent is there for something special. On paper, it could be a standout. And that’s in stark contrast to what Ethan Coen has been doing of late, indulging in a lesbian-themed B-movie trilogy with partner Tricia Cooke (“Drive-Away Dolls,” “Honey Don’t”). It’s becoming clearer by the day which Coen brother is pursuing the more traditionally ambitious work.
The Coens had always worked together. In fact, prior to “Macbeth” — and Ethan’s recent collaborations with Cooke — they hadn’t missed a collaboration since their 1984 debut, “Blood Simple.” They say a creative break was needed, and the result is that their last film together remains 2018’s “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.”
The good news is that they recently hinted at a reunion: a horror film they co-wrote that is ready to shoot once their respective solo projects are in the can.
Festival press conferences have turned into landmines of political questioning, to the point where some artists would probably prefer to turn down being a juror at Cannes, Venice, or Berlin.