CouldMatthew McConaugheybe headed for another Oscar, just three years after taking home the Best Actor trophy forDallas Buyers Club? The “McConnaisance” has been good to theMagic Mikeactor, as he’s been able to stretch his talents like never before from sci-fi epics likeInterstellarto historical dramas likeFree State of Jones. One of his most recent efforts is the highly anticipated dramaGold, and TWC-Dimension announced today that it has slated the film for wide release on Christmas Day of this year, putting it directly into the awards fray.
Goldmarks the long-awaited directorial follow-up forSyrianawriter/directorStephen Gaghan, who won the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar in 2001 forTraffic. The film revolves around the “epic tale of one man’s pursuit of the American dream,” although this isn’t some historical adventure—it’s a modern day-set story of a prospector desperate for a lucky break who teams up with a geologist (Edagar Ramirez) to find gold in the uncharted jungle of Indonesia. The film’s reach is expansive, as it tracks the adventure of both getting andkeepingthe gold through “the most powerful boardrooms of Wall Street.”
The picture ticks off a number of the “Oscar precursor” boxes, including the fact that it’s based on a true story. While a film released in December hasn’t won the top Oscar prize in some time, it’s possible The Weinstein Company could be taking the movie on the fall film festival circuit to build buzz before its theatrical release. A TIFF debut, perhaps?
McConaughey has been doing some interesting work lately, and while his most recent pictureFree State of Jonesmissed the mark at the box office,Goldmarks yet another fascinating choice of material. But really, the most exciting part ofGoldfor me is the prospect of seeing Gaghan back behind the camera. It’s been over a decade since the wonderfully intricateSyriana, and one imaginesGoldhas a lot to say about the state of the world we live in.
December 25th falls on a Sunday this year, soGoldwill be hitting theaters just over a week afterRogue One: A Star Wars Storyand a few days afterAssassin’s Creed, the animatedSing, and theChris Pratt/Jennifer Lawrencesci-fi romancePassengers. Yes indeed, we’re in for yet another busy holiday movie season.
Can McConaughey break into the Best Actor pack? There are a lot of unknowns at the moment, butHarvey Weinstein for one is bullish on his prospects. Look for a full preview of the Oscar season to come with a new Oscar Beat column soon.
