Clint Eastwood is once again behind the camera with his supposedly final film, Juror #2. The film initially faced an uphill battle in securing a studio, but Warner Bros. gave it a shot, and according to reports, they are thrilled. Could this be a fitting send-off for the legendary filmmaker?
Juror #2 Is A Legal Thriller
Juror #2 is Clint Eastwood’s take on courtroom suspense written by Jonathan Abrams. The film throws Nicholas Hoult into a moral dilemma and legal quagmire. In addition to Hoult, the cast is full of A-listers, including Academy Award nominees Toni Collette and J.K. Simmons, along with Kiefer Sutherland, Zoey Deutch, and Chris Messina.
Scrolling through the cast alone feels like studios shouldn’t have skipped this film. However, the lower budget compared to Clint Eastwood’s usual big-budget productions has steered some big names away. Moreover, the courtroom drama doesn’t feel appealing to everyone, and eventually not commercially viable.
Warner Bros Loves The Film
Nevertheless, the 93-year-old director just wrapped up the production of the film, and insiders say Warner Bros. is thrilled by what they have seen in the film so far. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Clint Eastwood was on the prowl for the script that would allow him to ride off into the sunset with his head held high, and that is how he selected the script for Juror #2.
Eastwood’s Long Career Behind The Camera
The film comes after his not-so-well-received 2021 effort, Cry Macho, a neo-Western drama that Clint Eastwood directed and starred in. It underperformed at the box office and received mixed reviews, with critics eagerly blaming Eastwood’s performance for its failure.
Nevertheless, this is the director who has been making films for more than 50 years. His directorial debut came in 1971 with Play Misty for Me, a psychological thriller in which he also starred alongside Donna Mills and Jessica Walter.
An Oscar Winning Director
He helmed The Bridges of Madison County, which has become a Hollywood classic that transcends generations. Million Dollar Baby won the esteemed actor-turned-director the Academy Award for Best Motion Picture of the Year. Other crowd-pleasing favorites, even if the material can be a bit dark, including Mystic River and American Sniper, deserve a place on the list of best Clint Eastwood films.
From Westerns To Grounded Dramas
Over the years, Clint Eastwood has been involved as a producer, director, and actor in numerous films that have become cinematic marvels. He has transcended genres, coming from a role as the Man With No Name in spaghetti westerns to life-changing dramas and character studies like Gran Torino.
Of course, no one is perfect, and Clint Eastwood had a few misses that led him far from Hollywood’s box-office records and Award ceremonies, but these are few, such as The Rookie from 1990 and Absolute Power from 1997, among some other titles.
Going Out With His Head Held High
Nevertheless, Clint Eastwood is one of the all-time greats and should never be passed on, no matter how audacious a film premise. Juror #2 still has no premiere date, but according to reports, it will be released later in 2024, possibly giving Eastwood the perfect send-off.