Matthew McConaughey’s Oscar for Dallas Buyers Club might soon be joined by another golden statuette, as the buzz surrounding his current production, The Free State Of Jones is generating a lot of early Oscar chatter, even though his performance won’t be viable for consideration until the 2016 ceremony in 2017.
Principal photography recently began on the Civil War drama, which hails from The Hunger Games helmer Gary Ross, who is both writing and directing this true story. Co-starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Keri Russell, and Mahershala Ali, McConaughey leads the film as rebellious Southern farmer Newt Knight. The defiant man rallies against the Confederacy during the conflict and unites a clutch of workers in Jones County, leading to the creation of a free state. The film will further explore his private life – in particular his marriage to his former slave – and how that affected his triumphant mission.
Before The Free State Of Jones marches into theaters on March 11, 2016, check out the first image of its leading man above and a more in-depth look at the story in its official synopsis below.
Set during the Civil War, The Free State of Jones tells the story of defiant Southern farmer, Newt Knight, and his extraordinary armed rebellion against the Confederacy. Banding together with other small farmers and with the assistance of local slaves, Knight launched an uprising that led Jones County, Mississippi to secede from the Confederacy, creating a Free State of Jones. His marriage to a former slave, Rachel, and his subsequent establishment of a mixed race community was unique in the post-war South. Knight continued his struggle into Reconstruction, distinguishing him as a compelling, if controversial, figure of defiance long beyond the War.
