It may seem like the perfect pair to reboot the "Cheech & Chong" franchise, but hippy actors Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson plan on a more serious take for their real-life friendship to play out on television. The beach bums will co-star in "True Detective," as two cops who cross paths while trying to catch a serial killer. Convincing viewers to tune in for eight episodes of "True Detective" will lie solely on the believability of these two actors, and their chemistry on-screen as two guys interested in something other than a drum circle at a beach bonfire.
Matthew McConaughey has been laying somewhat low since becoming a dad, not to mention dodging a streak of unsuccessful films. His star power as leading man has waned in recent years, with romantic comedies like "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" receiving bad reviews, and dramas like "The Lincoln Lawyer" getting little to no attention. While he will clearly make an eye-popping comeback with the male stripper movie "Magic Mike," it seems that McConaughey could use a win or two, and television is often the place for film stars to earn one.
McConaughey's Hawaii-based buddy Woody Harrelson has quite the opposite problem, with a massive career resurgence despite his best intentions to be lazy. Television made Harrelson a star with "Cheers" and his film career has been nothing but extraordinary ever since. Commercial success with "The Hunger Games" and "Zombieland" has been matched by critical praise and award-nominated performances in "The Messenger" and "Rampart" in the last few years. While his free-spirited personality finds its way into several of his roles -- like in "2012" and "Friends with Benefits" -- his recent return to television in "Game Change" could not have been further from the real-life actor.
Watching Matthew McConaughey play cops with buddy Woody Harrelson could be a wild ride or a de-railed train to nowhere. Seems the predominantly film actors are willing to commit to eight episodes of television, as long as their surfing buddy is along for the ride. While the camaraderie between these two real-life friends might start out as entertaining, the real question is whether or not it can keep viewers following a suspenseful serial killer story-line for eight episodes. Is the next police duo worth watching, or a recipe for disaster? Will you tune in to watch Woody & Matthew as Louisiana detectives in "True Detective" or opt for a more plausible police pairing?
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