Although there is no Red Dead Redemption TV series in development, one actor has thrown his hat in the ring to play one of the series’ most iconic characters. Walking Dead star Jeffrey Dean Morgan has expressed interest in playing Arthur Morgan (the star of RDR 2) in a potential Red Dead Redemption show.
While speaking at a fan convention, Jeffrey Dean Morgan was asked if, with all the popular video game adaptations popping up lately, he would be interested in starring as Arthur Morgan in a potential Red Dead Redemption series. Morgan was quick to say, “That’s the one I want to do,” and was quickly met with a room full of applause.
Morgan went on to explain his reasoning, saying that Westerns are his favorite genre and there really isn’t a close second. He also said that his son plays the game and, from his perspective, Red Dead Redemption 2 is “freaking awesome.”
The Walking Dead actor says that he would jump at the chance to play Arthur, emphatically saying he would take on the role (if offered), “In a heartbeat.” He also jokingly said that he would do the role for free, but an adaptation as potentially lucrative as Red Dead Redemption would likely pay Jeffrey Dean Morgan for its lead role.
Would Red Dead Redemption Make a Good TV Series?
Of course, this is all wish fulfillment on the part of Morgan and the fan who asked the question. As of this writing, there is no Red Dead Redemption adaptation in active development. No doubt the rights to all of Rockstar Games’ many IPs are in the hands of major studios, but there hasn’t been any meaningful traction on any of them in the last decade or more. The last time we heard anything about a movie based on a Rockstar property it was a rumor that Daniel Radcliffe was starring in a Grand Theft Auto movie back in 2015.
That isn’t to say a potential Red Dead Redemption movie isn’t closer to reality than it ever has been. As the question noted, the success of Fallout and The Last of Us has shown the viability of video game adaptations as TV series. Even something like Twisted Metal can turn into something that finds a fanbase and is renewed for multiple seasons. It’s a Far Cry from the…well, Far Cry movie, which was one of the many Uwe Boll productions that gave live action video game adaptations their stigma.
Although there is interest from Jeffrey Dean Morgan, that doesn’t necessarily mean he is the right fit for the role. For starters, Arthur Morgan is 36 years old in Red Dead Redemption 2, whereas Jeffrey Dean Morgan is 59 years old right now. He does have the gruff demeanor that would fit Arthur, though, but the more obvious role for Morgan would be playing Dutch van der Linde. His experience as Negan, one of The Walking Dead’s most iconic villains, shows that Jeffrey Dean Morgan can toe that line between likeable and despicable, and there is plenty of meat to that role.
Ultimately, any conversations about a Red Dead Redemption movie would have to go through many more considerations before deciding on casting. For starters, the creatives would need to tackle whether to start with Red Dead 1 and then jump back in time for Red Dead 2, or to adapt the series chronologically as one story. But if the right team jumps on board and the project actually gains traction, there is at least one actor out there who would love a role. And apparently, he’s cheap.
