Danny McBride is still best known as the loudmouth, endlessly cocky character he perfected as Kenny Powers on EASTBOUND AND DOWN, but it looks as if he’s finally taking his first major dramatic role in ALIEN: COVENANT.
McBride ”is in early talks” to join Katherine Waterston and Michael Fassbender in Ridley Scott’s PROMETHEUS follow-up, presumably as one of the crewmembers of the ship that discovers Fassbender’s David on the alien planet where the story will take place.
Though he’s usually tapped for his comedic talents, even for dramas like UP IN THE AIR and ALL THE REAL GIRLS, he’s done two straight roles for James Franco in AS I LAY DYING and THE SOUND AND THE FURY. Still, this would be his best opportunity to date to show that he’s got more up his sleeve than just the perennially vulgar and douchey KFP character, and that he can fit himself into a big-budget tentpole not built around his particular personality.
Of course, there’s always the chance that he’ll be the comic relief, but let’s just assume that he’ll be playing it somewhat serious for the sake of tonal consistency. It’s Ridley Scott, not David Gordon Green.
The cool thing is that “the duo is said to have hit it off while discussing old movies,” and it’s evident from the references McBride makes in his films that he knows what he’s talking about, cinema-wise. What cinephile wouldn’t want to be in an ALIEN film for Ridley Scott? I wouldn’t be surprised if he specifically asked to die in a spectacular fashion, because, if you’re not the Last Girl, then what’s the point of going out any other way?
ALIEN: COVENANT will hopefully feature at least one character with a glorious mullet on October 6th, 2017.
