UPDATE: Director Josh Boone has responded to buzz that McConaughey is Warner Bros.’ pick to play Flagg, denying the report in a set of tweets, which I’ve included below.
I have always wanted McConaughey as Stu and Bale as Flagg. Still not sure how that story leaked – just not true.
— Josh Boone (@JoshBooneMovies) August 23, 2014
Not that either couldn’t play the other role brilliantly – but my heart’s been there since I started writing.
— Josh Boone (@JoshBooneMovies) August 23, 2014
There you have it. McConaughey as Flagg may not be in the cards, but how do you feel about him playing protagonist Stu Redman? And how does Christian Bale sound as Flagg? Sound off below!
ORIGINAL: Warner Bros. and The Fault in Our Stars helmer Josh Boone have apparently let slip their dream casting for the role of villain Randall Flagg in their upcoming adaptation of Stephen King’s post-apocalyptic classic The Stand. According to Deadline, Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey is coveted for the role of Flagg, who is the personification of evil, a demonic figure who wreaks havoc across a plague-ravaged America and menaces the few human survivors.
McConaughey, who may soon add an Emmy to his growing awards collection for his magnetic lead performance in HBO’s True Detective, is an understandable pick for the studio. After what many have called the McConaissance, in which the actor went from sleepy roles in rom-coms to stunning performances in dramas like Mud and Dallas Buyers Club, McConaughey has never been hotter. Additionally, the glowering intensity that the actor brought to Rust Cohle on True Detective has already made him a fan favorite for the part of Flagg.
Of course, nothing is official so far as McConaughey’s involvement with The Stand goes, but I’d personally love to see the actor in such a villainous role. Flagg is one of King’s most famous characters, having crossed over into The Dark Tower series and other works from King after making his debut in The Stand.
So far, the only actor cast in Boone’s take on The Stand is Nat Wolff, the young actor who delivered stellar performances in Boone’s Stuck in Love and The Fault in Our Stars while also impressing in Gia Coppola’s Palo Alto. The project’s epic scope will require an ensemble cast, and that The Stand is coming from Warner Bros. with a hefty budget likely means that a great deal of A-listers will be circling soon enough.