As a film enthusiast with decades of experience under my belt, I can’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia when I read about the tumultuous relationship between Hollywood legends and the studios they once called home. Clint Eastwood, a true icon, has had his fair share of ups and downs with Warner Bros., a studio that was once synonymous with talent-friendly deals but now seems more focused on appeasing Wall Street.
Experiencing Clint Eastwood as a director involves certain expected elements on set. Unlike traditional commands of “Action” or “Cut”, he subtly says “Okay” from the video village. He works swiftly and sparingly, completing scenes with minimal takes. With a team of long-time collaborators including producers, production designers, second-unit directors, and property masters, Eastwood operates on a 10-hour workday schedule with no lunch breaks (referred to as “French hours”). This often leads to his films being completed ahead of time and under budget.
On the set of his 40th and presumably final film, the critically acclaimed legal thriller “Juror #2”, Eastwood – at the age of 93 – surprisingly contributed to the intricate scene setting in an unusual manner. As Phil Biedron, who played a supporting role as one of the lead actor Nicholas Hoult’s fellow jurors, recalled, “We were in the courtroom and filming a dramatic scene. Suddenly, you could hear a light crunch sound. It was actually Clint, munching on Cheez-Its and making that noise. Anyone else doing that during filming might have raised some eyebrows, but given it was his movie, and he’s a big fan of Cheez-Its, it was just par for the course.
Over the weekend, Juror #2 quietly played in 28 cinemas nationwide, marking an initial, modest screening campaign by its distributor Warner Bros., despite the film not being listed on their “For Your Consideration” website. Featuring a high-profile cast that includes Toni Collette and J.K. Simmons, this $35 million production doesn’t seem to have expansion plans in traditional theaters. Additionally, the movie earned $5 million overseas, but Warner Bros. has decided not to disclose its domestic box office earnings (a move often interpreted as a lack of financial confidence by studios). The drama is set to leave cinemas on Thursday, having been released for less than a week, and will subsequently become available for paid video-on-demand later this month.
Essentially, Warner Bros., the studio behind many of Eastwood’s successful directorial ventures like “Million Dollar Baby” and “Unforgiven,” appears to be withholding the release of what could be his final movie, “Juror #2.” This decision might be due to David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, who seems to prioritize managing the company’s massive debt over releasing films. As a result, productions like “Batgirl” and “Coyote vs. Acme” have been canceled. An industry insider commented that for Zaslav, money is everything, and he sees Eastwood’s movies as no longer profitable. This individual also described Zaslav as being more about transactions than emotions.
In the course of producing “Juror #2”, the veteran filmmaker encountered difficulties unprecedented throughout his career, mostly stemming from his advanced age. As Biedron narrates, there were at least three instances when the cast and crew arrived on set only to be informed that filming wouldn’t occur due to Eastwood’s undisclosed health issues, necessitating medical attention. More alarmingly, around halfway through shooting in Savannah during the summer of 2023, a Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists strike disrupted production, resulting in a four-month hiatus that left crew members questioning if the project would resume. Biedron, who has collaborated with Eastwood since 2011, describes him as one of the most generous directors he’s worked with, but there were whispers among the team: “There was much discussion about whether this production would return and if Clint would complete this movie given his age.
It’s important to consider Zaslav and his financial team’s perspective, as Eastwood’s films have not been financially successful or major award contenders for some time, with the exception of “American Sniper” in 2015. His most recent film, “Cry Macho,” which stars Eastwood as an aging rodeo star, was considered a flop with a gross income of $16.5 million against a production budget of $33 million. This figure is significant due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on theater attendance.
Although historically known as a studio that was highly favorable to artists (providing them with many advantages such as studio jets and luxurious accommodations), Warner Bros. has experienced significant financial turmoil in recent times, reversing its former reputation. During the pandemic era, under the leadership of John Stankey, Ann Sarnoff, and Jason Kilar, the studio sparked outrage among top directors like Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve by prioritizing Wall Street appeasement over artistic integrity. In 2020, Warner Bros. announced its intention to release all films scheduled for 2021 on the HBO Max streaming service simultaneously with any remaining operational theaters. This decision prompted Nolan, an advocate for theatrical cinema, to remark wittily, “Many talented filmmakers and renowned movie stars went to bed thinking they were working for a great movie studio only to wake up realizing they were working for a poor streaming platform.” Following this, Nolan moved to Universal Pictures to produce Oppenheimer. Since then, Warner Bros.’s relationship with talent has shown little improvement.
If Eastwood seems displeased with the secretive release strategy for Warner’s film Juror, he appears to be holding his criticism back. Maybe he feels that the movie’s tagline, “Justice is blind; guilt sees everything,” can also describe studio negligence. He missed the premiere of Juror at AFI Fest in Los Angeles on October 27 and has yet to participate in any press events for it. At the premiere, Hoult spoke about his enthusiasm when Eastwood offered him the central role in the film but also Eastwood’s modest comment on his own increasing age. “I was very enthusiastic on the phone,” the actor said. “I said, ‘I love the script! I love the script! I love the script!’ And he replied” — here, Hoult mimicked Eastwood’s gruff, leisurely speaking style — ” ‘If you like it so much, I guess I’ll have to read it.’
Biedron expresses his belief that after viewers watch the movie, WB’s release strategy might come across as outdated. He suggests that people might comment, “This film was excellent! Why was it only a limited release?” This could generate additional buzz for the movie. Perhaps the studios will then realize their mistake and say, “Oh, we didn’t anticipate such a positive response.
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2024-11-05 19:54