Justin Theroux, star of The Leftovers, has found his next acting project. He will join the upcoming Netflix series Maniac, according to Deadline. Maniac is a dark comedy series to be directed by Cary Fukanaga (True Detective S1, Beasts of No Nation) and has already nabbed Emma Stone and Jonah Hill to star.
Per Comingsoon.net:
“Maniac is based on the 2014 Norwegian series and is largely set in the fantasy worlds of the characters that Hill and Stone play. Justin Theroux will play the role of James Mantleray. There is no official word on who Mantleray is, though the site reports that he’s believed to be playing an alcoholic doctor in the mad scientist vein.”
Not much given in that breakdown, but something to look forward to nonetheless. The dearth of talent involved is a hype builder like none other. Fukanaga is a true talent, and although we missed out on his It iteration, it’s good to see his efforts going toward something equally exciting. Stone is coming off a Best Actress win for and Hill has been lending voice work for the past year, with several hot projects set in pre-production.
Theroux is just another incredible actor. While he was known for his comedic roles prior to The Leftovers, he’s been opening up to more dramatic roles lately. His performance on HBO’s critical darling is one of the more snubbed roles in the past decade. He balanced indifference with a crumbling psyche and showed a man in worry masking it with happiness the best I’ve seen in a hot minute. Theroux also starred in The Girl on the Train adaptation last Fall. He played a different kind of psycho in that, aided by a similar masking of those crazy tendencies with a nice husband feel, required by the film’s whodunit plot. He has a role in the upcoming Duncan Jones flick Mute, starring Paul Rudd and Sam Rockwell. Theroux is also known for writing Tropic Thunder, Iron Man 2, and Rock of Ages.
The mad scientist aspect of this role is a match made in heaven for Theroux. Based on his unhinged performances in The Leftovers and The Girl on the Train and even his crazy DJ in Zoolander or conniving hippie in Wanderlust, he can play insanity well. Match his comedic ability with a smart director and reliable co-stars and this spells another perfect role.
Let us know what you think about the Theroux casting and if you’re excited for Maniac! And remember to give Superbad a watch in honor of Stone and Hill for its 10 year anniversary this week.