Matthew McConaughey To Star As Newton Knight In 'Free State Of Jones'?
News
oi-IANS
By Ians English
Oscar-winning
star
Matthew
McConaughey
has
in
talks
to
appear
in
"Free
State
Of
Jones",
which
tells
the
story
of
Newton
Knight,
who
led
a
famous
rebellion
in
America's
Civil
War.
At
present,
Matthew
McConaughey
is
enjoying
the
positive
review
of
his
new
sci-fi
release,
Interstellar.
McConaughey
is
interested
in
the
project,
which
is
being
led
by
"Hunger
Games" director
Gary
Ross.
According
to
Deadline,
Ross
has
been
developing
this
big
project
for
several
years,
planning
a
new
take
on
the
life
of
Newton
Knight,
who
led
one
of
the
most
famous
rebellions
in
America's
Civil
War.
A
Mississippi
man
who
had
been
a
loyal
Confederate
recruit,
he
defected
from
the
army
and
took
a
group
of
like-minded
troops
with
him
to
create
the
Free
State
of
Jones.
Knight
later
married
a
slave,
creating
one
of
the
first
ever
publicised
mixed
race
unions
in
the
South,
fought
against
the
Confederates
from
within
his
new
state
and
led
a
daring
raid
to
free
children
who
were
still
enslaved
following
the
end
of
the
conflict.
McConaughey,
45,
is
in
discussions
to
play
the
role
of
Knight.
As
the
story
progresses,
Knight
marries
a
slave,
which
was
one
of
the
first
ever
publicised
mixed
race
unions
in
the
south,
and
frees
enslaved
children
after
the
conflict
ends.
The
project
is
being
driven
by
Ross,
58,
who
has
been
striving
to
get
the
film
made
for
quite
some
time.
Matthew
McConaughey
won
an
Oscar
for
his
2013
hit
movie,
Dallas
Buyers
Club
where
he
played
an
AIDS
patient.