Actor-director Clint Eastwood will be among the Oscar hopefuls this season as Warner Bros. announced that the film American Sniper will have a select run beginning Christmas Day and will continue to roll out nationwide on January 16, 2015.
American Sniper, based on the autobiography by real-life former Navy Seal Chris Kyle, is directed by Eastwood.
It stars Bradley Cooper in the role of Kyle, a decorated marksman with a rocky marriage and troubled home life. Its cast also includes Sienna Miller, Luke Grimes, Kyle Gallner and Sam Jaeger. The film is co-produced by Eastwood and Cooper with Andrew Lazar and his company, Mad Chance Productions.
Kyle, who was killed in a shooting incident in February 2013 by a fellow veteran, was awarded several commendations for his heroism and meritorious service. He served four tours in Iraq and was given the nickname “Devil of Ramadi” by Iraqi insurgents. His autobiography claimed him to be the most lethal sniper in American military history, although this has never been corroborated by the Department of Defense.
The book has received great reviews for being frank and straightforward in its accounts of the life of a sniper. Critics are looking forward to seeing how the story will translate to film, as it has been a while since Eastwood has delivered Oscar-worthy material.
The film was initially a Steven Spielberg project but Eastwood took over after Spielberg and Warner Bros. parted ways. The Dirty Harry star has worked on a long string of films with the studio, which historically launches his films in December.
Warner Bros. Dates ‘American Sniper’ For Christmas; Bumps ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E’ http://t.co/IENcQuEhYM pic.twitter.com/lAQhDueB3w
— Peter Sciretta (@slashfilm) August 13, 2014
Warner Bros also announced the release of Guy Ritchie’s Man From U.N.C.L.E. – the feature adaptation of the classic TV series. The movie will star Hugh Grant, Armie Hammer and Henry Cavill and will now be showing on August 14, 2015 instead of the previously announced January 16, 2015. The remake of the 1991 action crime film Point Break was moved up to a new summer date of July 31, 2015 from August 7, 2015. The studio has also announced that it has two other untitled horror films set for January 2016 and September 2016.
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