Two days out from its long-anticipated theatrical bow, STX Entertainment have rolled out an extended, six-minute preview of Free State of Jones, Gary Ross’ gruelling Civil War drama that places Matthew McConaughey at the forefront of an historic uprising.
He’ll take point as Newt Knight, a relentless Southern farmer who takes matters into his own hands when launching a revolt against the Confederacy and, in the process, carving out a democratic slice of land known as Jones County. Flanked by Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Keri Russell and Mahershala Ali, there’s plenty of awards talk swirling around Free State of Jones even when you factor in its atypical release window. Or, should STX’s decision to shoehorn Ross’ drama into a mid-summer date be considered a red herring? Time will tell.
Expect Free State of Jones to march into theaters on June 24. The question now is, will you be checking out Ross’ Civil War drama this weekend?
Written and directed by four-time Oscar® nominee Gary Ross (The Hunger Games, Seabiscuit, Pleasantville), and starring Oscar® winner Matthew McConaughey, Free State of Jones is an epic action-drama set during the Civil War, and tells the story of defiant Southern farmer, Newt Knight, and his extraordinary armed rebellion against the Confederacy. Banding together with other small farmers and local slaves, Knight launched an uprising that led Jones County, Mississippi to secede from the Confederacy, creating a Free State of Jones. Knight continued his struggle into Reconstruction, distinguishing him as a compelling, if controversial, figure of defiance long beyond the War.