Clint Eastwood’s grand finale film Juror #2 is getting a shock limited release – amid claims his longtime studio partner Warner Bros. has ‘little confidence in the film’s commercial prospects.’
The iconic actor and director, 94, is bringing the curtain down on his storied seven-decade career in film with the Nicholas Hoult led film – set to premiere at AFI Fest on October 27 – but the film will screen in less than 50 theaters, two sources tell Variety.
Juror #2 is currently listed for showtimes at four NYC locations, five in LA and one in Chicago with pre-sales in the biggest US cities ongoing in fewer than 25 locations.
Canada’s Cineplex is opening the film in one theater in Toronto and 160 nationwide venues.
It is claimed there are no current plans to expand to more locations in the following weeks.
A spokesman for the studio said: ‘Juror #2’ is releasing in the U.S., U.K., France, Spain, Italy and Germany with the full support of Warner Bros.’
The film’s release makes it eligible for the 2025 awards season run – but compared to competitors Anora and The Brutalist – it is getting a far more stringent release.
In an unexpected move, Warner Bros also dropped the trailer for the film just one month before its release.
Juror #2 was initially meant to be a streaming release, says a source – but shifted to theatrical after screening the film, produced on a budget ‘in the mid-$30 million range.’
A source close to Warner Bros. said the decision to put the film in theaters was a ‘gesture of gratitude’ to Eastwood after his many films have made billions at the box office and Oscars.
Sources claimed Warner Bros. is considering not reporting box office grosses for the film – which is ‘atypical.’
Warner Bros. are said to not perceive the film as a major Oscar contender – Eastwood has won four Oscars – winning for Best Picture and Best Director for 1993’s Unforgiven and triumphing in the same categories for 2005’s Million Dollar Baby.
Eastwood’s last film – 2021’s Cry Macho – in which he directed and starred, was a box office flop, and failed to recoup its $33million budget, grossing only $16.5 million globally.
It is claimed the film ’emerged as a point of contention at the studio’ in the wake of WarnerMedia’s merger with Discovery, Inc with CEO David Zaslav allegedly questioning why the film was made amid doubts it would turn a profit.
DailyMail.com has contacted Warner Bros. for comment.
In Juror #2, the Unforgiven star – who was seen looking frail this March – cast Nicholas Hoult as a man who comes to a chilling realization while sitting on a jury.
Gradually, it dawns on the character that he may have been culpable in the car accident that killed the person whose homicide is being tried.
He finds himself in the nail-biting position of having to decide whether to keep his own name clear or help the innocent defendant get acquitted.
Postproduction wrapped on the movie in the spring, and sources told Variety that its studio, Warner Bros, was ‘thrilled’ by the footage it was shown.
Hoult is at the head of a formidable cast that includes Toni Collette, Zoey Deutch, Kiefer Sutherland, JK Simmons, Leslie Bibb and Chris Messina.
The movie had a tumultuous road to completion, as the shoot had to be stopped for months last year because of the Hollywood strikes.
Furthermore, a number of studios reportedly rejected the project before Eastwood was able to find it a home at Warner Bros.