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Dream Line-Up for Nelson Mandela Film The Human Factor

by Alex Billington
September 25, 2007
Source: Variety

Here's another film with one of those dream line-ups, from the director to the actors. The project is an adaptation of the book by John Carlin titled "The Human Factor: Nelson Mandela and the Game that Changed the World." Warner Brothers is in talks to finance it and here's the line-up: Clint Eastwood eyeing it as director, Matt Damon in preliminary talks to play the captain of the Springboks, and Morgan Freeman already cast as Nelson Mandela. I can't really think of a more talented selection of individuals to make a movie about Nelson Mandela!

The script is being written by South African screenwriter Anthony Peckham (Don't Say a Word). The story is set right after the fall of apartheid, and after Mandela was released from a long imprisonment and became South African president. Mandela recognized the significance when South Africa was selected host of the 1995 Rugby World Cup after the team had been barred from even competing since the 1980s because of apartheid.

Apparently this film has been look for financing for a while and started out originally with Morgan Freeman on board. The two additions of Eastwood and Damon are recent and may be the final assets that Warner Brothers was looking for in order to finance it. Morgan Freeman traveled to South Africa last year to meet with Mandela and also commented on his involvement in the film.

"I have known Nelson Mandela personally for quite some time, and am continually in awe of his enormous presence in the world," Freeman said. "The opportunity to portray him in this film is a great honor."

This is one of those that if it comes together as it currently is laid out, including with Clint Eastwood directing, then we've got a guaranteed hit. Nelson Mandela is recognized as TIME's 100 Most Important People of the Century and deserves to be honored in a truly great piece of cinema, and this may live up to that.

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