Exclusive: Matthew McConaughey Eyed For Jekyll And Hyde Movie
A trusted and proven inside source for Giant Freakin Robot has shared that Matthew McConaughey is being eyed to star in a Jekyll and Hyde movie.
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Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a story that has been retold many times. In fact, there have been over 120 stage and movie adaptations. Creators aren’t growing tired of it–not by a long shot. Storytellers get excited about the challenge of developing a character with two extreme sides to their personality. Audiences remain intrigued by the idea. And so it is that we can always count on more adaptations to come. Now, we’re hearing of another in the works. A trusted and proven inside source for Giant Freakin Robot has shared that Matthew McConaughey is being eyed to star in a Jekyll and Hyde movie.
Our source shared that the movie is currently in development at Universal. This is a separate project from the Eddie Izzard adaptation currently in the works at another studio. At this point, our source has learned that Matthew McConaughey is the name they have in mind for the new movie. While these are still early days, it’s certainly very interesting.
Matthew McConaughey has been in big-budget movies, indie movies, serious dramas like Mud, and comedies like Fool’s Gold. He had a small but memorable part in Magic Mike, and while some worried he didn’t appear in the sequel because he was busy chasing Oscar roles, he has invited Channing Tatum to give him a call so he can get back on stage for the third one. All of this is to say: Matthew McConaughey is perhaps one of the most curious picks out there for a Jekyll and Hyde adaptation.
This brings up the big question: What kind of character does Universal have in mind for Matthew McConaughey? Do they want to tell a more modern and contemporary story? Do they plan to involve magic or science fiction so that he transforms into two versions? Do they want to do a retelling that sticks closer to the original novella from 1886? We were unable to confirm answers for this, but we’re certainly curious to know more.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a very well-known character. Adaptations have explored the dual nature in different ways. The basic idea is a character with a good side and an evil side. However, other adaptations have explored the split personality via various avenues. For example, you could easily make a case that Marvel’s Hulk and Bruce Banner split takes heavy inspiration from Jekyll and Hyde, perhaps with some Frankenstein thrown in for good measure. While that’s not a direct adaptation, it’s an example of how a Jekyll and Hyde character could be done in a way that is more than just good versus evil. So what do they want to do with Matthew McConaughey? And will the idea be interesting enough to persuade an actor with so many parts in his filmography already?
With Matthew McConaughey abandoning his plans to run for Texas Governor (for now, at least), he’ll surely be looking for something exciting to do in the near future. If talks don’t work out and he doesn’t sign on for the part, hopefully, he’ll still share details on what they have planned so we can hear more about the movie Universal has in mind.
