Here at The Mary Sue, we celebrate all things Oscar Isaac. He is a fantastic actor (he played three different characters in Moon Knight flawlessly) and seems like an all-around cool guy. He is BFFs with our other favorite internet daddy, Pedro Pascal, so he must be awesome to hang out with.
Recently there was news that he will star in Guillermo del Toro’s version of Frankenstein alongside Andrew Garfield. At this time, there is no confirmation on if Isaac will play the doctor or his creation, but either way, the fans win. Now, he is also in talks to play a legendary author for an upcoming Amazon series called Helltown. As first reported by Variety, it looks like Isaac will play counter-culture writer, Kurt Vonnegut.
What in the Helltown?
Kurt Vonnegut is an American icon. His books are off the wall while telling interesting anti-war stories in a way no one else could. Oscar Isaac could play the humanist writer, but do we need a biopic? More often than not, biopics fall flat for both the actors playing famous people and the figures they are based on. Except for Rocketman (the fantastical version of Elton John’s life), I am often leery of even watching biopics. Helltown, however, is a biopic of a different kind. The eight-episode series will be based on the book Helltown: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer on Cape Cod by Casey Sherman. Instead of a “he was born, he grew up” type of narrative, the story focuses on one brief period and a strange event in Vonnegut’s life.
In 1969, Vonnegut was still struggling as a writer (the struggle is real). He published his first novel but had yet to reach fame and fortune. Seeking inspiration from the blossoming hippie movement, Vonnegut (and Norman Mailer) connected with the local counter-culture leader, Tony Costa. Costa was a charming hippie who promoted the peace, love, and drugs ideals of the time. During this same time, women started disappearing and bodies began showing up. What Vonnegut wouldn’t realize until later was that Costa was behind all of it. Even after his conviction and arrest, Vonnegut and Costa kept up a correspondence.
Helltown won’t just be a biopic. We are going to have hippies, Vonnegut, and true crime all rolled up into one bonkers series. Currently, Oscar Isaac is the only rumored actor for the series, but it’s already shaping up to be something I am excited to watch. And if it all goes down in flames, well, so it goes.
(via Variety, featured image: Warner Brothers)
