Could the Coen brothers' remake of True Grit make an Oscar killing?

The Coen brothers' most recent remake , of the classic Ealing comedy The Ladykillers, was something of a blot on their otherwise fairly unblemished CV. Nevertheless, there can be few more anticipated films this year than their reworking of True Grit, the 1969 western featuring John Wayne as grizzled marshall Rooster Cogburn – earning him his only Oscar – and Kim Darby as the 14-year-old girl who hires him to hunt down her father's killer. First of all there's the sumptuous cast, which includes Jeff Bridges as Cogburn, Matt Damon as LaBoeuf (the role filled by singer Glen Campbell in the original film) and Josh Brolin as villain Tom Chaney. Then there's the intrigue in seeing just how the noir-loving Coens adapt what is a genuinely engaging tale with just a hint of old-school high adventure. The Coen version – if the trailer is to be trusted – seems to have eschewed the original's comedy stylings in favour of a more stripped-down approach. There's no sign of the sexual-baiting which seemed to be a source of humour in the 1969 film (trailer below for comparison), and with newcomer Hailee Steinfeld set to take Darby's role, any reprise might take on a rather darker tone: Steinfeld is just 13, while Darby was a 21-year-old woman playing a teenager. Released in time for Christmas, True Grit already looks like Oscar bait. Might Bridges follow Wayne to the best actor gong, or could the very confident-looking Steinfeld do an Anna Paquin come February next year?