If you’re going to make a revisionist spaghetti western, you better cast a few men who have a reputation for a fast draw.
Quentin Tarantino has nabbed at least one. According to Deadline, Kevin Costner has signed on to Django Unchained and in a delightful stretch, he won’t be playing the good guy. Costner will be Ace Woody, the sadistic overseer/trainer of Calvin Candie’s slaves who has no compunction about torturing or killing the men and women who don’t measure up.
It’s a great departure for Costner, and it’s a wonderful subversion of his good ol’ boy image. I know he’s played villains before, but he’s never done anything as colorful and vicious as a Tarantino baddie. This is just going to be fun. Between Unchained and Man of Steel, I expect we’ll see a Costner revival … and you know, that just wouldn’t be a bad thing. I’ve missed the guy.