This Just In! Django Unchained

Quentin Tarantino’s newest movie, Django Unchained, is coming out on Christmas, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, Samuel L. Jackson, Christolph Waltz and Kerry Washington. Set 2 years before the Civil War in Mississippi, it’s about a bounty hunter, former dentist Dr. King Schultz (Christolph Waltz) in search of the Brittle brothers (played by M. C. Gainey and Cooper Huckabee). He needs help finding them and goes to the only person who has seen them, a slave called Django (Jamie Foxx). Dr. Schultz promises to free Django after finding the Brittle brothers and Django joins in to help find his wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), who the Brittle brothers sold to an unknown owner, Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). Candie is the owner of Candyland, a plantation that uses slave women for exotic entertainment purposes and runs duels in which slaves are trained to fight each other. Candie’s second in command is Stephan (Samuel L. Jackson) who overlooks the slaves and avoids revolts. To find his wife, Django and Dr. Schultz start traveling from plantation to plantation.

There’s been a bit of hubbub about the movie since an Italian movie in 1966 was made and titled Django as well. It should also be noted that Franco Nero, who played Django in the 1966 Django, also is in Django Unchained, so expect to see references involving his character. If you look closely at the end of the trailer, that man Django is talking to (about the “d” being silent) is actually the original Django himself, Franco Nero. Also, many people can’t wait to see a Western movie directed by Tarantino.

Some facts:

-Will Smith was originally supposed to play Django. After Smith declined, the role was between Jamie Foxx, Chris Tucker, and Idris Elba. Foxx was supposedly chosen since he was a well rounded actor who could go from comedies to drama to action- and could ride a horse.

– Christolph Waltz previously won an Oscar for Hans Landa in Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds, a role that was originally supposed to go to Leonardo DiCaprio. DiCaprio has yet to win an Oscar, and this will be his first time as a villain.

– Brad Pitt has turned down many roles offered to him, but according to Harvey Weinstein (president of The Weinstein Company, which is producing the film), there will be surprise cameos and appearances within the movie.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt dropped out due to a directorial debut he’s working on, and Sacha Baron Cohen dropped out of playing Scotty Harmony- a man who buys Django’s wife- because he was too busy  promoting The Dictator. Kevin Costner was set to play slave trainer Ace Woody, but dropped out and was replaced by Kurt Russell, who also recently dropped out. Russell’s character will be combined into Billy Crash, played by Walton Goggins.

– Sid Haig was believed to be the only choice to play Mr.Stonesipher, so a representative called him and told him that he had the part. Tarantino later gave the role to David Steen, and it is believed that (since Tarantino is known to be “funny”) Tarantino played a prank on Sid Haig because Sig Haig turned down the role of Marcellus Wallace in Pulp Fiction.

Watch the trailer here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUdM9vrCbow

 

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