John Turturro has started shooting the dramatic comedy “Going Places” in what’s believed to be a spin-off of the Coen brothers’ “The Big Lebowski.” The project is currently filming in New York.

Turturro is directing, starring and wrote the screenplay, inspired by the 1974 French film “Going Places” (Les Valseuses), which starred Miou-Miou, Gérard Depardieu and Patrick Dewaere, directed by and based on the novel by Bertrand Blier.

As with the French film, (the French title is slang for “the testicles”) Turturro’s version follows a trio of misfits whose irreverent, sexually charged dynamic evolves into a love story as their spontaneous and flippant attitude backfires time and again. In the French film, Depardieu and Dewaere played young men who travel around France, committing petty crimes and running from the law. When they make enemies with a gun-toting hairdresser, their journey becomes one of constant escape.

The web site Birthmoviesdeath.com first reported that Turturro is bringing back his Jesus Quintana character from 1998’s “The Big Lebowski,” in which Quintana is a loud-mouth opponent of the bowling league team that includes the characters played by Jeff Bridges, John Goodman and Steve Buscemi. The Quintana character spoke with a thick accent, danced backwards and referred to himself as “the Jesus.”

A rep for Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, which is financing and producing, said that the company was keeping details of Turturro’s character under wraps.

Bobby Cannavale, Audrey Tautou, Susan Sarandon and Sonia Braga are also starring in “Going Places.” Sidney Kimmel, Fernando Sulichin and Paul-Dominique Vacharasinthu are producing along with John Penotti and Robert Salerno. Bruce Toll, Max Arvelaiz and Michael Lewis are executive producers.

Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, New Element and Tribus P Film are financing the film. Cornerstone Films is handling international sales and distribution with ICM Partners representing the domestic rights.

Turturro is repped by ICM Partners.