Everybody knows who Joel and Ethan Coen are, especially now that their adaptation of True Grit is nearing release. However, despite their many Oscars, a script the brothers wrote as a remake of the 1966 Michael Caine starrer Gambit has taken a long time to get off the ground.

Finally, according to Deadline, newcomer Crime Scene Pictures decided to throw a little money at what can only be considered a sure fire hit and probable success as the company's inaugural run. Director Michael Hoffman has been attached to direct, his latest project the acclaimed Last Station chronicling the life of Leo Tolstoy. Previously, Bourne Identity director Doug Liman was interested in the project, but presumably that fell through since it’s taken so long for producer Mike Lobell to find the film some money.

The original had Caine playing a conman in a caper comedy looking to steal a prized statue owned by a man whose recently deceased wife is the spitting image of Caine’s accomplice, Shirley MacLaine. There’s a lot of potential in that idea, and if anyone can take it and turn it into a zany ride, it’s the Coen’s. Stay tuned for more on this as the production crews up.