Deadline is reporting that Matthew McConaughey will be joining Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf Of Wall Street. The actor, who is hot off the success of Magic Mike, will be playing Mark Hanna in the adaptation of Jordan Belfort’s best-selling memoir of the same name. For those who haven’t read the book, Hanna is Belfort’s early boss and mentor.
Though the film is just entering production, it already shows great promise as McConaughey joins a stellar cast that includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Jean Dujardin, Rob Reiner, Kyle Chandler, Jon Favreau and Joe Bernthal. Oh ya, and the script is penned by Boardwalk Empire creator Terence Winter. If that doesn’t have you excited, then I give up.
The film will follow the true story of the rise and fall of corrupt stockbroker Jordan Belfort, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, who eventually was found guilty of securities fraud and sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Honestly, if this announcement had come a few years ago, I would have been scratching my head. But, with recent turns in films like Magic Mike, The Lincoln Lawyer, Bernie, Killer Joe and his upcoming role in The Paperboy, Matthew McConaughey is starting to shed his “chick-flick/rom-com” status and is making a legit run for bonafide dramatic actor.
It’s too soon to tell if the actor will keep up his hot streak or fall back into fluffy film territory but if he keeps stacking his resume with smart film credits, he may find himself receiving awards recognition in the near future.
What do you think? Is Matthew McConaughey a good fit for The Wolf Of Wall Street?
