At this point it's old hat to talk about the actor Matthew McConaughey used to be when the actor he has become is so compelling. The consistency which he's delivering amazing performances deserves proper credit and not a constant reminder of the "mimbo" he once was. And as top flight filmmakers flock to him in droves with one interesting project after another, McConaughey has chosen to work with Gus Van Sant on his next film.
According to The Wrap, McConaughey and Ken Watanabe (Inception) will star in Sea of Trees, a film that came to the surface late last year. At the time it looked like Joaquin Phoenix would be a part of it, but McConaughey has to be considered a lateral move at worst, and maybe even a better fit for the material. Chris Sparling's Black List script "follows an American man (McConaughey) who takes a journey into the infamous “Suicide Forest” at the foothills of Mount Fuji with the intention of taking his own life. When he is interrupted by a Japanese man (Watanabe) who has had second thoughts about his own suicide, and is trying to find his way out of the forest, the two begin a journey of reflection and survival."
No word on when filming will begin, but this will be Van Sant's first film since 2012's snoozer, Promised Land.
