A couple of weeks ago the Coens referred to their next writing gig as "a sandal movie" set in Rome, and it turns out this isn't something new. Instead it looks to be the long-rumored Hail Caesar, which was first mentioned years ago as the third chapter of their "Numbskull Trilogy" along with O Brother Where Art Thou? and Intolerable Cruelty. The connection between those two films is George Clooney, and he's expected to be a part of this one, as well, rumored to play "a 1920s matinee idol who takes on Ancient Rome epic". Joel Cohen revealed to Thompson on Hollywood...
Cohen: “We’ve been working on that one. There’s a good chance that would be next.”
Tim Blake Nelson had been part of the casting initially and he may still be involved, although much of the fine details about the film have yet to be clarified. For one thing we don't know when this could get in front of cameras, but considering the three-year wait for the relatively small Inside Llewyn Davis it may be a little while. However it shakes out , the Coens taking on ancient Rome is a fascinating idea, and hopefully we'll learn more about it very soon.
