AFI Film Festival has announced that Warner Bros.’ “Juror No. 2,” the new thriller from Oscar-winning director Clint Eastwood, will have its world premiere as the closing night film on Sunday, Oct. 27. The studio will then release the movie in limited theaters on Friday, Nov. 1.
Written by Jonathan Abrams, the film follows Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult), who, while serving as a juror in a high-profile murder trial, struggles with a severe moral dilemma — one he could use to sway the jury’s verdict and potentially convict or free the accused killer. “Juror No. 2” also stars Oscar nominee Toni Collette (“The Sixth Sense”), Oscar winner J.K. Simmons (“Whiplash”), as well as Zoey Deutch, Chris Messina, Gabriel Basso, Leslie Bibb and Kiefer Sutherland.
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“There is only one Clint Eastwood – and AFI is proud to present the world premiere of this next chapter in his historic canon,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO, in a statement. “We are honored to bring the community together once again—artists and audiences—to celebrate an American icon.”
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Eastwood, 94, has brought several previous directorial efforts to AFI, including his 2019 thriller “Richard Jewell” with Paul Walter Hauser, the 2014 war film “American Sniper” with Bradley Cooper, and his 2011 historical biopic “J. Edgar” with Leonardo DiCaprio.
In 1996, Eastwood was bestowed with the AFI Life Achievement Award, the highest honor for a film career. Moreover, AFI conferred him an honorary degree for his contributions to the art form.
Along with Eastwood, “Juror No. 2” is produced by Tim Moore, Jessica Meier, Adam Goodman and Matt Skiena.
The AFI Fest, which runs from Oct. 23-27, will open with the world premiere of the documentary “Music by John Williams,” chronicling the life of the legendary composer. In addition, Robert Zemeckis’ decades-long love story “Here,” starring Tom Hanks and Robin Wright, will premiere in the centerpiece slot. Just hours before “Juror No. 2” closes the 38th edition of the festival, Netflix’s animated feature “Wallace & Gromit: The Vengeance of the Chicken” will also debut.
The full festival lineup will be unveiled on Oct. 1.
