All Right, All Right, All Right: Matthew McConaughey To Resurrect Dallas Buyer's Club

Four long years ago, it appeared Brad Pitt was all set to star in the story of Ron Woodroof -- the heterosexual, homophobic electrician who contracted HIV in 1980, was diagnosed with AIDS in 1986 and would go on to found the Dallas Buyer's Club, through which AIDS patients bought...

By Robert Wilonsky

March 10, 2011

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Four long years ago, it appeared Brad Pitt was all set to star in the story of Ron Woodroof -- the heterosexual, homophobic electrician who contracted HIV in 1980, was diagnosed with AIDS in 1986 and would go on to found the Dallas Buyer's Club, through which AIDS patients bought life-prolonging alpha interferon smuggled to the U.S. from faraway places (like, say, Tokyo). Close to 21 years ago, former Observer editor Julie Lyons told Woodroof's tale in the Dallas Times Herald; a reprint can be found here. Guillermo Arriaga (Babel, 21 Grams) was set to direct Pitt working from his screenplay, which had loitered around Hollywood since '02. But then the project stalled -- till June of '08, when Ryan Gosling and his Lars and the Real Girl director Craig Gillespie stepped in ... then, out.

I'd forgotten all about the project -- greenlights fade awfully fast, no big deal -- till late last night, when The Los Angeles Times wrote, in this exclusive, that Matthew McConaughey has stepped in, wanting to resurrect the project as an indie. Says Wooderson, who will bring along The Young Victoria-n director Jean-Marc Vallée, "That's what I love about The Dallas Buyer's Club script, man -- I get older, it stays the same age." Or: "It's a great script and a great story. And I think it can be a great movie." Still, I wouldn't hold your breath. Not unless you got a joint. It'd be a lot cooler if you did.

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