Clint Eastwood's Juror #2 Trailer and poster!

Clint Eastwood's Juror #2 Trailer and poster!

At long last, it’s arrived! Here is our first look at Clint’s new film Juror #2. The website People posted the following:

Clint Eastwood is delivering a twisty new legal drama full of moral dilemmas. Juror #2 stars Nicholas Hoult as Justin Kemp, a "family man" who, "while serving as a juror in a high-profile murder trial, finds himself struggling with a serious moral dilemma, one he could use to sway the jury verdict and potentially convict — or free — the accused killer," per a synopsis.

Eastwood, 94, tells PEOPLE in a statement, "This is a film I would want to see, that I think a lot of people would enjoy. It looks at the gray areas between the black and white of everyday circumstances and makes you decide for yourself."

The director adds that it started with a "good script" by Jonathan Abrams and a "solid story that I thought would make a good picture."

He adds, "It really intrigues me when a story places a character in a moral dilemma, and this is one that we could all imagine ourselves in or relate to in some way."

The all-star cast includes Hoult, 34, plus Toni Collette, Zoey Deutch, Kiefer Sutherland, Gabriel Basso, Leslie Bibb, Chris Messina, J. K. Simmons, Francesca Eastwood, and more.

Eastwood says the cast and crew shared "all the laughs" on set.

"We had a really great group of actors, led by Nicholas Hoult, who I was really impressed with — he is what I think a movie star is," says Eastwood. "Everyone was very professional, came prepared and ready to work, but more than that they came and we laughed every day. Whether I’m directing or acting, I think it’s important to enjoy the work, and we did."

Juror #2 signals the return of Eastwood to the director’s chair. The Oscar winner’s most recent films as director and producer are 2021's Cry Macho, 2019's Richard Jewell and 2018's The Mule and The 15:17 to Paris.

Messina, 50, previously called Eastwood an “awesome” collaborator in a conversation with PEOPLE in December 2023. 

“I really loved him. Ninety-three years old and completely with it, great notes, up on his feet behind the camera — just a badass," the actor said. "You think you're going to get some tough guy and he is completely gentle and calm and fun and cracking jokes.”

Sutherland, 57, revealed on the BBC's The One Show in May that he earned his part in Juror #2 after hand writing a letter to Eastwood “telling him how much I admired his work, which specific films [I loved] and why… he was kind enough to give me a job. So, kids, learn how to hand-write,” he joked. 

“I had read in one of the trade magazines that he was directing his last film,” added Sutherland, “and I thought, ‘This is my last chance.’ ”

Juror #2 will have its world premiere as the closing night movie of this year’s AFI Film Festival on Oct. 27. It will release in select theatres Nov. 1st.

Below: The poster for Juror #2

Below: The trailer for Juror #2
               

Photo Opportunity #54

Photo Opportunity #54

Another month, another Photo Opportunity. I thought I’d kick off the month of October with this rarely seen still from the 1979 film Escape from Alcatraz. I have a full press kit for Escape from Alcatraz which was quite generous in terms of stills – but this particular one wasn’t included. 

The photo features Clint as Frank Morris looking slightly uncomfortable while his cell is being shaken down. Actor Patrick McGoohan (who played the Warden) can be seen through the cell bars. The Warden as portrayed in the film was a fictional character. The film is set between the arrival of Morris at Alcatraz in January 1960 and his escape in June 1962. 

Clint was drawn to the role as ringleader Frank Morris and agreed to star, provided Don Siegel would direct under the Malpaso banner. Siegel insisted that it be a Don Siegel film and outmanoeuvred Clint by purchasing the rights to the film for $100,000. This created a minor rift between the two friends. Although Siegel eventually agreed for it to be a Malpaso-Siegel production, Siegel went to Paramount Pictures, a rival studio. It would be the final time Siegel directed Clint.

Although Alcatraz had its own power plant, it was no longer functional, and 15 miles of cable were required to connect the island to San Francisco's electricity. As Siegel and Richard Tuggle worked on the script, the producers paid $500,000 to restore the decaying prison and recreate the cold atmosphere - although some interiors had to be recreated in the studio.

The film grossed $5.3 million in the U.S. during its opening weekend from June 24, 1979, shown on 815 screens. In total (according to Variety. October 22, 2001), the film grossed an estimated $43 million in the U.S. and Canada.