Drive-Away Dolls Stars Talk Hitting the Road for the Quirky Comedy

The upcoming Drive-Away Dolls comes from filmmaker Ethan Coen, but in a departure from his previous works, he didn’t collaborate with brother Joel Coen and instead developed the script with Tricia Cooke. While the project might not be exactly what audiences are expecting, based on Coen’s previous works, there’s lots of cinematic DNA that is consistent with previous Coen projects, which includes oddball characters, dark comedy, and entirely unexpected narrative twists and turns. Stars of the film Margaret Qualley and Beanie Feldstein recently spoke about what it was like bringing the unique experience to life, which hits theaters on February 23rd.

While speaking with ComicBook.com about what sets an Ethan Coen project apart from other experiences, Qualley expressed, “I think it’s all on the page. Well, it’s both. It’s everything. From the very start, I was auditioning and I loved the script and really wanted to be a part of this movie. And I’m a huge Coen fan and became a huge Tricia Cooke fan, when I realized how entrenched she was in that world already, and then had the opportunity to work with her on this.”

Written by Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke, Drive-Away Dolls follows Jamie (Qualley), an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend, and her demure friend Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) who desperately needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way.

While Qualley and Viswanathan take center stage throughout most of the adventure, Beanie Feldstein stars as Jamie’s ex-girlfriend, allowing her to punctuate the adventure with even more absurdity. 

“I think that some of the most fruitful, memorable roles have been something that Ethan has been a part of. And so with Ethan and Trish creating this lesbian, powerful, angry cop, it was a dream to play,” Feldstein expressed of the opportunity. “And I think that when you know you’re being taken care of and guided by two remarkable artists that are the best at the game, I just felt safe knowing that they would let me know when to pull it forward, pull it back, and Ethan just kept telling me to go for it more.”

She added, “Even from my audition, it was just like, ‘Do not take your eyes off of her. Do not let up for one second.’ I was like, ‘Okay, I understand what you want.’ And it was unbelievably freeing and joyful.”

Also starring in the film are Colman Domingo, Pedro Pascal, Bill Camp, and Matt Damon.

Drive-Away Dolls lands in theaters on February 23rd.

Are you looking forward to the new movie? Let us know in the comments!