Matthew McConaughey pretty much hit a home run with his performance as Rust Cohle in True Detective. It stands out, alongside his Oscar winning performance in Dallas Buyers Club, as one of the highlights of the “McConaissance.”
But let’s imagine all of those crackpot theories about the Yellow King and Rust Cohle were true. Cohle is actually one evil son of a b*tch and not a warrior for the light like we are meant to believe. That’s where Josh Boone’s mind must be because he and Warner Bros are rumored to be after McConaughey to play Randall Flagg in The Stand. From Deadline:
I’m told that Warner Bros covets him to play the role of Randall Flagg in The Stand, the adaptation of Stephen King’s apocalyptic masterpiece novel that Josh Boone will direct.
Flagg is the personification of evil, a demonic figure who wreaks havoc after a plague kills most of the population. He was played in haunting fashion by Jamie Sheridan in the miniseries adaptation. This is by no means a firm situation, but it’s understandable why the studio thinks McConaughey would be a compelling and persuasive force of evil in the film. Flagg was such a force of evil that King used him in several of his works including The Stand.
I hope this becomes less rumor and more fact of life because this would be awesome casting. Flagg is probably the best character Stephen King has created and considering that duality in McConaughey’s career to this point, it just fits so well in my eyes.
Like Russ Fischer at Slashfilm points out, McConaughey has played dark and evil before with Killer Joe and Cohle. Even though one might picture him as The Stand’s heroic East Texan Stu Redman, Flagg is the far meatier role. If you want to see McConaughey as Redman, you should travel back in time and get another version.
It’s the best of both worlds for the actor, where he can be funny and charming while also being menacing and dark. Murderous with a flair for the extravagant. You’d be foolish to think it wouldn’t be amazing.
So make this happen, Warner. And make sure you have him practice his singing. I’ll be disappointed if he doesn’t bust this out at least twice in the movie.