John Turturro's 'Big Lebowski' Spin-Off Still On The Way, Just Needed Some Tweaking

It's been two and a half years since we heard anything about John Turturro's spin-off from The Big Lebowski focusing on his cocky bowling character Jesus Quintana. We saw a first look photo from the film, titled Going Places, featuring Turturro back in a purple wardrobe and do-rag, but since then, we have heard nothing about when the movie might finally see the light of day. But now we have an update on The Big Lebowski spin-off from Turturro himself, and the movie is still very much on the way. 

The Independent recently sat down to talk with John Turturro, and they asked about The Big Lebowski spin-off, which Turturro says is "much more sexual" and potentially more controversial because of that. The director, writer and star explained:

"It's a bit of a racy movie. It shows how stupid men are. That's what the movie is kinda about – the women are the stronger, more together characters. I had to tweak it a little bit but now I feel really good about it. It's basically an exploration of Jesus getting out of jail. It's a comedy but a very human comedy."

Inspired by Bertrand Blier's 1974 French film Les valseuses, the film is said to begin with Jesus getting out of jail after being framed as a pedophile. However, the film doesn't just focus on Jesus himself. Instead, he's one of a trio at the center of the movie. Here's how the official synopsis described the film when the first look photo debuted back in the fall of 2016:

John Turturro plays Jesus Quintana in GOING PLACES, a film about a trio of misfits whose irreverent, sexually charged dynamic evolves into a surprising love story as their spontaneous and flippant attitude towards the past or future backfires time and again, even as they inadvertently perform good deeds. When they make enemies with a gun-toting hairdresser, their journey becomes one of constant escape from the law, from society and from the hairdresser, all while the bonds of their outsider family strengthen.

John Turturro is joined by Audrey Tatou (Amelie) and Bobby Cannavale (Ant-Man, Chef), which sounds like an interesting cast to assemble for a comedy like this. But can the movie have a similar irreverence and style that Joel & Ethan Coen's The Big Lebowski had? We're not sure about that, but Turturro still has the full support of the Coen brothers. Turturro said:

"They're my friends, close friends, and were supportive when I said I wanna explore this character more. They said, you gotta do it cause we're not doing it! If I have something to show, I show it to them if they're around."

So even though Joel & Ethan Coen aren't actively working on the movie, they still seem to be giving Turturro their thoughts whenever they get a chance to see what he's been doing behind the camera. At the end of the day, Going Places needs to stand on its own, and fans probably shouldn't expect a movie like The Big Lebowski, which really is one of a kind. Maybe we'll see the movie make a festival debut sometime this fall, or perhaps at Sundance early next year. Stay tuned.