The first trailer for season 2 of HBOs True Detective hit today and it looks great. Its got the same moody atmosphere of the first season and new star Colin Farrell looks sad and coolin his hounddog mustache and brown jackets. But the person who really caught my eye in the trailer was Vince Vaughn.
When the comedian was cast in the new season, a collective groan went up from fans. Season 1 of True Detective was a weird, original, philosophical take on the police procedural. Told in multiple time frames, the 8-episode show told one complete story that dealt with a serial killer but turned out to be as much about the meaning of life and friendship as it was about figuring out who did it. It didnt really seem like Vince Vaughn material.
But fans were willing to trust creator Nic Pizzolatto and his seemingly unorthodox choice. From the trailer, it looks like Vaughn is playing against type as a rich (and probably evil) developer. The question now is whether the role will help revitalize Vaughns career.
Theres no question that True Detective helpedMcConaugheyturn his career aroundfrom a middling romantic comedy actor to the ranks of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood. The show came after his transformative, award-winning turn in the movie Dallas Buyers Club and just before his hit movie Interstellar which grossed $673 million at the global box office.
It remains to be seen if Vaughn can get the same kick from True Detective. At this point in his career, he desperately needs something to turn the tide. The actor burst on the scene in the 1996 movie Swingers. The indie only grossed $4.5 million at the box office but it became a cult hit thanks to the chemistry between Vaughn and actor/director Jon Favreau. Vaughn followed the movie up with a string of decently successful comedies including Dodgeball, Wedding Crashers and The Break-Up.
But over the last few years his films have been flopping right and left. This years Unfinished Business has grossed just $13.5 million at the global box office. Delivery Man earned $51 million. The Internship,which reunited Vaughn with his Wedding Crashers costar Owen Wilson, did a bit better, bringing in $93 million but with a $58 million budget, the film still didnt turn a profit. (Movies need to earn at least twice their production budget at the box office to earn out.)
Many big movies stars have made the transition to TV in the past few years and while some have seen big boosts in pay for their work (Kevin Spacey earned $16 million last year and landed on the FORBES Celebrity 100 for the first time thanks to House of Cards), few have revived their movie careers. Part of the reason for that is that TV is time consuming. People like Spacey and Kevin Bacon and James Spader dont have much time to do movies outside of their TV schedule. The limited schedule of True Detective could make a difference for Vaughn.
If Vaughn makes a big enough impression in next seasons True Detective, maybe h**l land a juicy TV role that can keep him gainfully employed or maybe h**l start a new career as a serious actor. Taking the role was definitely a smart move. Now lets see if it pays off.
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Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/dorothypomerantz/2015/04/09/the-true-detective-teaser-looks-great-can-it-save-vince-vaughns-career/
