Few things bring a smile to my face faster than the term ‘McConaissance’. For one, it’s really fun to say, but it also reminds me that even in a seemingly jaded industry, there are people willing to use their power to champion quality material. Matthew McConaughey’s career turn in 2011 brought projects like Killer Joe, Mud, and True Detective to a much wider audience, and his post-Oscar career sees him taking on bigger but still interesting films like Free State of Jones.
The movie feels like familiar territory for writer/director Gary Ross as well, who steered the true story of the racing horse Seabiscuit to nearly $150 million worldwide back in 2003 (with the film of the same name). He’ll need to have similar success if Free State of Jones is to finish in the black, as the estimated $65 million war drama must somehow find a place in the crowded summer 2016 schedule.
With McConaughey as a real-life Confederate dissenter during the American Civil War, the film promises plenty of action, but it doesn’t appear to be downplaying its anti-southern sentiments. Whether that will play well south of the Mason-Dixon Line or anywhere outside of America remains to be seen, but McConaughey’s name should take it pretty far.
The fact that the most famous good ‘ol boy from Texas chose to attach his name to the story of one of the first racially integrated sections of the south is an interesting indicator that the culture might truly be changing, and if it succeeds in getting Gugu Mbatha-Raw in front of more people as well, then it’s a win in my book.
Free State of Jones is directed by Gary Ross and stars Matthew McConaughey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Keri Russell, and Mahershala Ali. It is being released in the U.S. on May 13th, 2016 and the U.K. on May 27th, 2016. International release dates can be found here.
Do you think Free State of Jones can find success during the summer blockbuster season?
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