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Oscar-winning director Ethan Coen has collaborated with his wife Tricia Cooke on their newest project, which they call a ‘lesbian B-movie’ and serves as a sequel to their 2024 road film Drive-Away Dolls.

Like that movie, which centered on two gay best friends traveling across the US via lesbian bars on an East Coast road trip, queerness is a central theme in Honey Don’t!, which returnsThe Substance’s Margaret Qualleyonce more in a separate leading role as private detective Honey O’Donahue, tackling a case that began with a car crash in Bakersfield, California.

She is supported by additional roles in the castAubrey Plaza, Charlie Day, Billy Eichner andChris Evansas a magnetic religious figure

Coen is most recognized for working alongside his brother Joel on movies such asRaising Arizona, The Big Lebowski and Inside Llewyn Davis; they have also received a notable 16 Academy Award nominations – along with four victories – for works such as Fargo, No Country for Old Men, and True Grit.

Cooke, who tied the knot with Coen in 1993, has also contributed as an editor to various films directed by the Coen Brothers, beginning with Miller’s Crossing in 1990.

However, while creating her second fictional film with her husband Coen, Cooke was in charge and she aimed to highlight queer representation as a central element of the narrative.

How the ‘non-traditional’ relationship between Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke influenced queer cinema

“It didn’t matter to me, but it did to her!” says Coen when we talk about the LGBTQ+ identity of Honey Don’t atCannes Film Festivalin May, when the film is making its global debut.

Yes,’ says Cooke, who considers herself a lesbian, with a smile. ‘I began writing because we wanted – or I wanted – to create queer genre films. I wouldn’t have been interested in writing [a] heterosexual detective story or road movie at that time.

I just kind of went with the flow,” adds Coen. “We had fun writing the two scripts together, and I’d done all those movies with my brother, and, you know, being straight is okay—but that’s enough!

The two are in a ‘very unconventional’ relationship as Cookepreviously described it, raising two children together but also maintaining individual relationships.

Cooke had earlier collaborated with Coen (and directed alongside Carrie Schrader) on the 2008 short film “Don’t Mess with Texas,” which follows two confident lesbians who encounter some trouble at a roadside diner in the state.

Her transition from editing to writing was driven by a desire to spend more time together (Drive-Away Dolls, previously known as Drive-Away Dykes, was actually written over 20 years before it was produced).

It’s something I could do with Ethan at home—I wasn’t working with them anymore. So it became a way for us to collaborate and spend more creative time together on weekends or in the evenings.

For her, it was a ‘natural transition’ to move into editing, as she had previously written with friends and during film school; she had also taken a break from editing when the Coens began using Final Cut, in order to concentrate on their children as they matured.

From the Coen Brothers to Coen Husband and Wife: A Hollywood Dynasty

I’m impressed by the family’s eagerness to collaborate on film projects. Is that the most effective approach?

“I’ve never not done that, so I’m not sure what the other option is. But yes, in both instances it’s fantastic,” replies Coen, mentioning that his brother Joel is also now working with his wife, actress Frances McDormand, following her production of his solo directorial film The Tragedy of Macbeth – alsostarring opposite Denzel Washington as Lady Macbeth.

They chuckle at the idea that they might have influenced his brother and McDormand to collaborate more behind the scenes — “I don’t think he needed inspiration, but maybe!” Coen smiles — before Cooke mentions that family collaborations are growing across generations.

I just wrote a script with my daughter – it’s simple because you also have a shorthand,” she says, while Coen adds, “And you’ve had plenty of experience debating!

It seems the Coen-Coen-Cooke-McDormand Hollywood legacy is growing, more about family influence than just a couple.

It would have been simpler 30 years ago to create Honey Don’t!

However, even with their experience and recognition, they firmly respond that it is more challenging to produce films today.

Yes, with a huge exclamation mark!’ says Coen. ‘It’s definitely more challenging than when I began, the overall economic environment, the entire film industry has changed. If it’s not a type of – whatever you want to call it – Marvel film or something that they believe has a certain brand appeal, an established brand, it’s very tough to get a movie funded nowadays.

“And to secure enough days for filming the movie,” Cooke adds.

They appear particularly suited to address this, as the Coen Brothers have essentially become “the brand” – they don’t operate with big-budget productions, they move through various genres – but their exceptional filmmaking, dark humor, and inclination toward subversion and parody are their defining characteristics.

Coen explicitly acknowledges Focus Features as being ‘great’ when addressing any difficulties encountered while producing Drive-Away Dolls and Honey Don’t! specifically.

It would have been simpler 30 years back, but the script wasn’t available then. As I mentioned, the environment has changed. We made it work, so I have no complaints; it’s just a different setting for films.

We informed her she would portray Humphrey Bogart, and she responded, “Yeah man, I’m up for that!”

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In his view, he acknowledges there is a ‘significant gap in the middle that wasn’t there before’ regarding the kinds of films that are more frequently funded nowadays, which seem to lean towards the extremes, ranging from Christopher Nolan’s upcoming The Odyssey (with a projected production budget of $250 million (£184m)) to Sean Baker’s Oscar-winning Anora –which cost only $6 million (£4.4 million).

With Honey Don’t!, Coen and Cooke are exploring the neo-noir genre, where Bakersfield has a distinctly 70s atmosphere, but Qualley(real-life daughter of Andie MacDowell)) as a gumshoe detective, Honey has the authentic essence of a sharp-witted, quick-talking 1940s detective – but she is a woman, and a lesbian.

“We informed her she would be playing Humphrey Bogart, and she responded, ‘Yeah man, I’m up for that!’” says Coen.

“We were looking for Honey, the powerful detective capable of handling all the action and making all the decisions while falling for the wrong women – that was crucial. We believed it would be entertaining to switch the genders within the classic detective genre,” says Cooke.

And with Margaret, she possesses the traditional Hollywood appearance that made her seem ideally suited for Honey – she looked as if she belonged in a Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall film.

Her co-star Evansis also clearly enjoying his role as the despicable Reverend Drew Devlin, who owns an excessive number of weapons and has a 50 Shades of Grey-style room in his church office, where he is frequently found in various embarrassing situations.

“He didn’t need any assistance in ruining his reputation; he thoroughly enjoyed it,” Coen laughs, highlighting Evans taking a significant step away from his squeaky-clean Marvel movie stardom as Captain America.

He’s delighted to portray a fool and does so with great enthusiasm. We didn’t assist him; he’s simply enjoyable to watch!

Honey, Don’t! is currently showing in UK and US theaters.

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