Live-action Red Dead series gets the perfect fan cast
To be honest, we're surprised no one has lassoed a Red Dead Redemption TV series yet. If Deadwood, Westworld, and Yellowstone have taught us anything, it's that there's a lot of money to be made down on the ranch. So, where's our Red Dead TV series?
Alongside our love of a good Western, video game adaptions are having their own renaissance. Massive IPs like Halo and The Last of Us have already ridden into town, with upcoming outings for Fallout, God of War, and more making sure we're paying those monthly subscription prices.
Red Dead fan cast is the stuff of dreams
Over on Reddit, u/BuckeyeGuy987 has unveiled an ambitious fan casting for 2010's Red Dead Redemption and its 2018 sequel. Taking up the role of Arthur Morgan, the OP imagines The Boys' Jensen Ackles. The rest of the cast is suitably A-list, with Aaron Taylor-Jonhson as John Marston and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Dutch van der Linde.
Rounding off the cast, we've got Wyatt Russell as Micah Bell, Jeremy Irons as Hosea Matthews, Keira Knightley as Sadie Adler, and Jack Black as Uncle. When it comes to RDR2, they think LaKeith Stanfield would be a perfect Lenny Summers, Bill Nighy as Leopold Strauss, and Bette Midler as Susan Grimshaw.
We'll admit that this is basically casting actors with who they look like, and we dread to think what the budget of this mythical Red Dead Redemption TV series would be. We know the likes of Kate Winslet, Matthew McConaughey, Meryl Streep, and Anthony Hopkins have recently starred in big shows, but this is ridiculous.
Red Dead fans pray for a live-action TV series
You might remember when we saw fake posters for a live-action Zelda series on Netflix. We'll never get all of these fan castings, but that doesn't mean some of them might not come true. One person who would definitely jump at the chance would be Jack Black, who has already championed the adaptation.
Loving the idea of this mythical Red Dead series, one fan cheered, "I agree all the picks are perfect…but this cast would cost close to a billion dollars in contracts alone. Those are all A-list superstars." Another added, "This would be an amazing cast, seriously. Edit: Swapping out Jensen for Josh Brolin would fit better IMO."
Not everyone was sold, though. Like Take-Two Interactive explaining we've never had a GTA movie or series because the IP is too big, one critic grumbled, "The game is so great at storytelling, f**k the idea of a TV adaptation." Many were unconvinced that even in an epic HBO series, we'd be able to do RDR justice.
Another concluded, "That's what so many forget. This game slow burns an incredible story over 60-80+ hours. You’ll never get that even in 10 seasons of television." With everything from Uncharted to Twisted Metal getting the live-action treatment, rest assured that someday, someone will try a Red Dead movie or series. May God have mercy on their soul.