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Kurt Russell is Replacing Costner in Tarantino's 'Django Unchained'

by Alex Billington
September 30, 2011
Source: THR

Now here's some badass casting. Could you ask for a better replacement for Quentin Tarantino's western Django Unchained than Stuntman Mike himself, the one and only Kurt Russell. THR is reporting that Russell is in talks to take on the role of Ace, right hand man of plantation/slave-owner Calvin Candie, the role that Kevin Costner had been cast in but recently dropped out of. Russell will be joining a cast with Leonardo DiCaprio as Candie, the main villain in the American South spaghetti western, plus Jamie Foxx as Django, Sam Jackson, and Christoph Waltz, too. This puts a nice cap on the cast of Tarantino's next classic.

Tarantino first got Russell to appear in his films when he roped Snake Plissken into starring in Death Proof, his half of the Grindhouse double-feature with Robert Rodriguez. Production on Django Unchained starts in November, in the meantime he's filling up the cast, which includes big names like Oscar winner Jamie Foxx as a freed slave who meets with a German bounty hunter (Waltz) to find his wife. He's going to have to rise up against DiCaprio as plantation owner, Jackson as a "vile head slave who works for DiCaprio", and now Russell, playing Ace Woody, "who oversees the plantation in a ruthless manner and who relishes punishing slaves." The Weinstein Company already has Django Unchained set to open on Christmas Day late in 2012.

Filed under Casting, Development, Movie News

From around the web:

Blue Silver

Good to know! I guess Russell has dropped his "no ensemble" rule this time! It would have been awesome if he'd been cast in, "The Expendables 2"!!
Craig

Um... Awesome!
Kellengatner

Trade one Wyatt Earp for another? Makes sense!
Astroboy3000

YES !!! All this time i've spent writing Kurt Russell in the comments section of almost every article has finally paid off ! now we just need Stallone to re-unite "Tango & Cash" and put Kurt Russell in Expendables 2
Chris Amaya

I'm excited. Tarantino has never made a bad movie in my opinion. He either makes great movies or awesome movies.
http://twitter.com/darktaxidermist Davide Coppola

Nice!!
Bazzmosis

I liked Tarantino's first few films Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction & Jackie Brown. But since then I've been bit disapointed with his work. Hopefully this will be good?
tir na nog

Cant wait,Russell is great too.
Posthuman

I'll take Russell over Costner anyday.
Blah

Jamie Foxx as a freed slave Django?! Oh boy is this gonna be parody like Naked Gun or smth?
Moutchy

Yay! Awesome! Couldn't have wished for a better choice to replace Costner! Funny how Russell is again a second choice in Quentin's casting though! The part he got in Death Proof was supposed to go to Mickey Rourke.
Anonymous

....and I'm replacing Russell!
Lando

kurt russel is a bad ass and Im sure he will rock this role! but I was also excited to see costner in this too!! honestly, Tarantino always pulls out great perfomances from his actors, i cant wait to see this.
David Banner

Been watching Kurt Russell movies last month, so this is great news! Let's get Kurt Russell and Carpenter in a room together soon, eh?
grimjob

Thank you 6lb, 8oz baby Jesus! I was so bummed when Costner left this role, he'd have been great. But dear god, Russel?! This movie just got better a hundred fold! Cannot wait!!
kinks!

Outstanding news... Russell is a real bad ass!! AND... Joseph Gordon Levitt was spotted in a meeting with Tarantino last week, rumour has it he's in talks for the role of 'Scotty' in Django Unchained! This is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated movies of the decade.