When Kurt Russell replaced Mickey Rourke as Stuntman Mike in Quentin Tarantino's grindhouse roadster flick, Death Proof, he gave a performance so good it should have kept him a busy man for years to come. I love Death Proof, and Russell(along with the sick soundtrack) is the main reason why. Instead we haven't seen him in four years, much to my disappointment. If he was sitting by the phone hoping for the next call from Tarantino then his wait is finally over.
After having Kevin Costner in place for the role of Ace Woody, the brutal slave master and right hand man of Calvin Candie(Leonardo Dicaprio) in his spaghetti western Django Unchained, Costner was forced to back out due to scheduling. Now TheWrap reports the job has gone to Russell, and if you ask me it's a definite upgrade. Nothing against Costner, but I envision the the role with a bit more of an edge, and Russell definitely fits the bill. Here's hoping he gets an eyepatch ala Snake Plissken.
He joins a cast that includes Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson, Dennis Christopher, Michael K. Williams, Gerald McRaney, and the newly added Laura Cayouette(Kill Bill 2) as Calvin Candie's sister. Django Unchained hits theaters on Christmas Day 2012!
