![THE FREE STATE OF JONES THE FREE STATE OF JONES](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/df-05888.jpg?quality=85&w=2400)
By Sarah Begley
For an actor, there’s no better awards bait than an appearance-transforming role in a biographical war movie. World, meet The Free State of Jones.
Matthew McConaughey will star in the action-drama as Newt Knight, a Mississippi farmer who led a southern rebellion against the Confederates during the Civil War. He and his followers “seceded” from the Confederacy, calling Jones County “The Free State of Jones.” After the war, he distinguished himself from fellow southerners once again by marrying a former slave named Rachel.
The movie is directed by Gary Ross (Seabiscuit, The Hunger Games) and will hit theaters March 11, 2016.
![THE FREE STATE OF JONES THE FREE STATE OF JONES](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/df-07727.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
Read next: Treat Yourself to Matthew McConaughey’s Dazed and Confused Audition Tape
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Welcome to the Noah Lyles Olympics
- Melinda French Gates Is Going It Alone
- What to Do if You Can’t Afford Your Medications
- How to Buy Groceries Without Breaking the Bank
- Sienna Miller Is the Reason to Watch Horizon
- Why So Many Bitcoin Mining Companies Are Pivoting to AI
- The 15 Best Movies to Watch on a Plane
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com