John Sayles is making his comeback to directing with "I Passed This Way," featuring Amy Madigan and Chris Cooper.

      A long-awaited return to the director’s chair is that of John Sayles. The filmmaker behind Lone Star and Matewan has not released a film in 13 years, with his last being the 2013 crime drama Go for Sisters. He has previously mentioned challenges in securing funding, but it seems that a new project is finally making progress.

      Sayles will next direct the western titled I Passed This Way, with his screenplay adapted from Eugene Manlove Rhodes’ novella Pasó Por Aquí, and production is expected to start later this year. The cast features Oscar winners Amy Madigan and Chris Cooper, along with a supporting ensemble that includes Thomas Mann, Ted Levine, Ron Perlman, and Cameron Monaghan.

      According to Variety, the film is set in 1898 and revolves around Ross McEwen, a cowboy who impulsively robs a bank and flees across the parched New Mexico Territory. The synopsis adds: “As the renowned lawman Pat Garrett and his eager young deputy pursue him, Ross finds refuge at a distant Mexican homestead afflicted by diphtheria. He faces a crucial decision — abandon the family to perish and escape to Mexico, or remain and care for them, risking imprisonment. Ross must determine what type of man he wishes to become.”

      The independent cinema visionary will film in the Canary Islands and Almería, Spain, with support from producers Alejandro Springall and Nadine Luque. Latido Films is managing international rights and plans to sell the film at the Cannes market, together with UTA Independent Film Group, which will oversee North American sales. It’s hoped that a distributor will acquire this film promptly.

      You can listen to our conversation with Sayles from last year below, or read here.