One of the biggest challenges that the Coen brothers would face in their reinterpretation of True Grit would be finding a young female lead who could both convince as the determined Mattie, but also handle the stylised period dialogue.

During a nationwide open casting call, Grit’s casting directors scoured America for the right girl for the role. Finally, when they were right down to the wire, they found Hailee Steinfeld. Just 13 years old, she embodied everything that the production team were looking for.

“After seeing people from all over, ironically we ended up choosing a young girl from the Los Angeles area so it just goes to show,” says Joel.  “We cast Hailee pretty much just before we started shooting, and we were very lucky to find her.”

“Who wouldn’t be attracted to Mattie?” says Steinfeld, who read for the part wearing a burlap skirt opposite Jeff Bridges. “She’s tough, she’s witty and she’s just 14, which is incredible.

“She has one goal, to find the killer of her father, and she tells herself she will not go on with her life until it is done – and then she goes for it. That’s the main similarity between us: that we would both stop at nothing to get what we want.” There was still that dialogue, of course…