Jake Gyllenhaal is one of our finest working actors. A talent that commands the screen like few others right now, he’s arguably at the peak of his craft, and everything he does seems more exhilarating than the last performance. The same compliments can be extended to Joaquin Phoenix, too. That makes Gyllenhaal’s involvement in The Sisters Brothers, which stars Phoenix and John C. Reilly, all the more exciting. Here’s hoping they’re only stronger in each other’s company.
An adaptation of Patrick DeWitt’s 2011 novel of the same name, The Sisters Brothers is set in 1851 and follows Eli and Charlie Sisters, two brothers and notorious assassins, hired to kill a gold prospector named Hermann Kermit Warm (Reilly, presumably) who stole from their boss. It’s unclear who’ll play Charlie and Eli specifically, but Gyllenhaal and Phoenix fill the roles nevertheless. The forthcoming indie will be directed by French filmmaker Jacques Audiard (A Prophet, Dheepan), so all signs point to this project being something pretty special.
The news of Gyllenhaal’s casting comes shortly before he does a brief revival of Sundays in the Park With George on Broadway, which was recently highlighted in Cary Fukunaga’s newest short film. That production enters previews tomorrow and will play through April 23. Gyllenhaal presumably joins The Sisters Brothers shortly after, as it’s currently gearing up to shoot ahead of a 2018 release.
Tell us, what are your early thoughts on The Sisters Brothers? Are you excited to see Phoenix and Gyllenhaal act alongside one another? Let us know in the usual place!