As anybody who’s played Red Dead Redemption and the impeccable, heart-wrenching sequel RDR2 will tell you, there are few pieces of media that have the surprising emotional impact that the games about a group of outlaws at the turn of the 20th century deliver (if you don’t cry at some point during RDR2, are you even a real person?). For years, many fans of the Rockstar products have been clamoring for more content, whether it be a third game or even a film or television series. And, now, a TikTok post by the brilliant Jack Black has some of the fandom thinking their wishes may become a reality.
The short clip doesn’t consist of much: the School of Rock star, donned in a cowboy hat, jigs up to the camera before turning and dancing away. This might make it seem like viewers who think the post is related to an RDR adaptation are clutching at straws, but Black’s shirt has the word “redemption” emblazoned across it, hence all the hype. The word on the t-shirt he’s wearing isn’t just a coincidence, either: it’s a branded RDR product. Let’s just say, Black definitely knows what he’s doing here.
Plenty of folks have already commented on the potential crossover, and most have been gleeful at the prospect. On the actual TikTok post, there are countless references to the game, with some calling Jack ‘Uncle,’ the name of one of the characters in the troupe of outlaws that does bear a resemblance to the comedic actor. Others have repeated famous lines and jokes from the franchise, like Dutch’s famous refrain that they’re getting enough money to “go to Tahiti.”
The belief Black may be hinting at something hasn’t come out of the blue, either. The actor has previously gone on record as saying he wants an RDR film, and given his pull, he could make it a possibility. And, after the success of the television adaptation of The Last of Us by HBO, a similarly emotionally investing game, who’s to say that studio execs aren’t already on board? As anyone in the business will tell you, money talks more than anything else.
Not everybody has been so effusive about a potential adaptation, though, with some hardcore fans of the games preferring they stay in that format. And, it’s easy to understand where they’re coming from, as the games (especially RDR2) are utter perfection.
All in all, though, we’re down for an Arthur Morgan series. All that’s left to see is if Black is going to deliver us to the promised land, or if this ends up being another Tahiti.