Netflix’s Rebel Ridge seems to have won audiences over with its visceral action and amazing performances from lead actors Aaron Pierre and Don Johnson. Pierre seems to have won over critics and fans alike with his restrained work as a former Marine officer entering a new town, where corruption is rampant.
The actor’s performance seems to have propelled him to a new level of stardom. Pierre’s work in Rebel Ridge may just have made him a top contender for many upcoming action flicks, including a remake of A Fistful of Dollars. The remake of the classic that put Clint Eastwood on the map is currently in development.
Rebel Ridge Star Aaron Pierre May Be The Perfect Candidate For Clint Eastwood’s A Fistful of Dollars Remake
In many ways, Netflix’s Rebel Ridge is a Western. A former man of the law enters a new town where he has no power and is mistaken for a naive civilian, only to unleash all hell on the perpetrators. Aaron Pierre plays the part to perfection, using his dramatic chops to give a restrained performance as a former Marine.
The actor’s performance has impressed many critics and fans, with Rotten Tomatoes even calling it his star-making performance. Pierre previously worked on the TV series The Underground Railroad and M.Night Shyamalan’s Old. He is also set to voice Mufasa in the upcoming The Lion King spinoff film Mufasa: The Lion King.
While Pierre was already supposed to play a role in the MCU’s Blade but has since exited, another high profile might be the perfect fit for him. The actor might just be the right actor to play the Man With No Name in the upcoming remake of Clint Eastwood’s A Fistful of Dollars. Having already done a Western-esque film, Aaron Pierre might just fit in like a glove.
Eastwood’s iconic spaghetti Western established him as a global star and his Man with No Name character spawned two more sequels, namely For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly with director Sergio Leonne. According to Deadline, the remake was developed by 300 producer Gianni Nunnari and the original production house Joy Films.
Aaron Pierre Replaced John Boyega In Rebel Ridge
While it is not impossible to imagine the sensational Rebel Ridge without its leading man Aaron Pierre, the actor was not the first choice of director Jeremy Saulnier. The Green Room filmmaker had actually begun filming with Star Wars’ John Boyega before the actor had to exit the film for family reasons.
Production was reportedly halted a month after it began in June of 2021 when Boyega had to exit the film. A representative of Netflix told Deadline,
Rebel Ridge is pausing temporarily as we look to re-cast John Boyega who needed to leave the project for family reasons. We remain committed to Jeremy Saulnier’s extraordinary film and look forward to resuming production.
Boyega’s exit reportedly caused a significant budget cut for the film as his attachment made it a mid-level blockbuster. However, the film came back on track in April 2022 with Aaron Pierre replacing the actor. The film was reportedly already delayed once due to the COVID-19 pandemic (via Deadline).