Kurt Russell steps in for Kevin Costner in Tarantino’s Django Unchained

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

It was exciting to learn that Kevin Costner would be getting in touch with his dark side to play ruthless slave trainer Ace Woody, henchman to Leonardo DiCaprio’s villain Calvin Candie, in Quentin Tarantino’s “Southern” DJANGO UNCHAINED. Alas, Costner’s return to the time period wasn’t meant to be.

But how’s this for a fair trade? Kurt Russell will reportedly take on the role instead (interestingly, one former Wyatt Earp going outlaw instead of another). The iconic genre actor was last seen on screen as vehicular murderer Stuntman Mike in QT’s DEATH PROOF.

In addition, Tarantino is bringing back another previous collaborator in actress Laura Cayouette. She made a brief appearance in KILL BILL Vol. 2, but is getting a bump for DJANGO — she’ll play Lara Lee, widowed sister of Candie and co-owner of his plantation.

The pre-Civil War story will star Jamie Foxx as a slave named Django, who is freed by a German bounty hunter named Schultz (played by Christoph Waltz, who recently sustained a painful-sounding injury in the crotch area while training for the role). Schultz takes the free man under his wing and trains him in weapons and deception, assisting his violent quest to be reunited with still-enslaved love Broomhilda.

Aside from Foxx, Waltz and DiCaprio, the movie will also feature Gerald McRaney, Samuel L. Jackson, Dennis Christopher and (possibly) Michael K. Williams.