6/4/2009

in

Chronicles the South African leader's attempts to heal his country post -apartheid--with a rugby match.

John Winn

According to Daily Variety, Clint Eastwood's latest film is on the track to be released later this year.  
  
"Invictus", starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon, follows Mandela and the captain of South Africa's rugby team Francois Pienaar as they chase their dreams of peace and a Rugby World Cup championship. This all following the aftermath of apartheid.  
  
The movie is based on "Playing the Enemy" a 2008 book by journalist and author John Carlin. The story follows Mandela's efforts to heal his country following his release from prison and his election as South Africa's first post-apartheid President.  
  
The title of the film comes from a poem written by William Ernest Henley, which Mandela often recites in his speeches. The poem speaks of the narrator's will to live on in the midst of adversity.  
  
The Dec. 11 release comes in the middle of awards season, just as judges begin to consider films for nomination.  
  
"Invictus" is his most recent work to date, following his four films previously released over the past two years, including 2008's "Changeling" and "Gran Torino," where Eastwood played the lead roll. "Torino" brought in $148 million domestically and $115 internationally for Eastwood, who has retained his iconic status overseas.  
  
"Invictus" is tentatively set to open in theaters everywhere.