FIRST LOOK
First Look: Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino Poster and More
by Alex Billington
October 23, 2008
Source: USA Today
After finally figuring out what Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino was about last week, we've got our first look at Eastwood as well as the official poster. This update comes from USA Today, where a full feature article can also be found. Gran Torino follows Walt Kowalski (played by Eastwood), a racist Korean War veteran whose prized possession is a classic car that catches the eye of local gangs in his Detroit neighborhood. The story is really about two important "objects", both of which can be seen on the poster: Kowalski's 1972 Ford muscle car and his M-1 rifle - "the weapon he has had left over since being in the service."
Eastwood elaborates on the plot and the inciting incident. "The young kid, as part of a gang initiation, tries to steal it, and the old guy gets him at the end of the M-1, which becomes kind of a big deal," he explains. "The kid has to do penance because of the pride of the Asian group. They make him do penance. He has to come over, and the old guy doesn't want anything to do with him, doesn't want him anywhere around." So what does Kowalski make him do if he doesn't want him around? "Walt helps him get a job and helps him toughen up a bit… They take him in and try to show him how to handle himself in life."
Eastwood adds that "it's got a lot of twists and turns in the story" but "also has some good laughs." I'm very interested based on that brief description alone. The trailer debuts this weekend in front of Changeling and will be online soon. Speaking of which, has any other director had a trailer for their next movie in front of the theatrical opening of another one of their movies? This may be a first!
Gran Torino is directed by the legendary Clint Eastwood, of Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, Flags of Our Fathers, Letters from Iwo Jima, and Changeling. The screenplay was written by newcomer Nick Schenk (I Shot Myself) with story assistance from first-timer Dave Johannson. Warner Brothers has scheduled a limited December 17th release for Gran Torino, which puts Eastwood and company into Oscar consideration again. Will audiences be able to appreciate two Eastwood films in one year?
16 Comments
1
Next films in front of previous films? Err, Eastwood's "Flags Of..." trailing in front of "Letters From..." if that counts? I'm sure there must have been an instance of a prolific director - Hitchcock in the '50s, Takashi Miike in the '90s - having such. There was the teaser for the next Star Trek in front of Cloverfield - both involving JJA, if not both directed by him. And there was always the trailer for BTTF3 at the end of BTTF2...
Rich on Oct 23, 2008
2
This looks amazing. He Looks really young in the pictures compared to his almost 80 years of age.
John on Oct 23, 2008
3
Is just me or those pants are the same as the ones in Million Dolar Baby 🙂 Just kiding.. Clint Eastwood is the ultimate "renaissance cinema" man, perfect director and great actor.
zarroba on Oct 23, 2008
4
Karate Kid with a muscle car and a rifle?
Tony on Oct 23, 2008
5
I love Clint but why is he wearing Simon Cowells pants?
Spudgun on Oct 23, 2008
6
the poster looks AMAZING!
samy on Oct 23, 2008
7
AND YOU THINK THIS POSTER IS BETTER THAN THE ONE FOR MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3-D?!?! 🙂 Looks good and the story sounds good too. Trailer in front of THE CHANGELING (was about to write THE HAPPENING for some reason:)) for this?
Ryan on Oct 23, 2008
8
How does Eastwood manage to produce and direct so many movies so close together? Letters and Flags came out just a few months apart, and now he's able to complete and release Changeling and Gran Torino like 2 months apart. He's like a machine.
Colca on Oct 23, 2008
9
I'm not crazy about the poster. It's not bad, but the lighting on Clint's face is not flattering.
tzarinna on Oct 23, 2008
10
Good man, he lets his M1 rifle do the talking for him. Garand Collectors Association
Andy G on Oct 23, 2008
12
This sounds a bit like Finding Forrester. Dammit, I wanted his to be a secret Dirty Harry movie, but oh well.
avoidz on Oct 24, 2008
13
That is one kickass poster with a real 70's vibe & Clint looks amazing. What is he, nearly 80 & he still looks like one tough son of a bitch. Hell, if I look even half that good when I reach his age I'll be happy! Can't wait to see it.
Dave on Oct 24, 2008
14
Somehow, impossibly, and yet so rightly, Clint is still a bad-ass, as this poster proves.
Scott on Oct 24, 2008
15
I am sooo excited about this movie because it will be the first moive with Hmong people in it, and who even knows about Hmong people? We've got a lot to learn about them: America's secret allies during the Vietnam War.
Yer Kong on Oct 24, 2008
16
Eastwood has and will always be a kick ass actor and a legon in his own time from Rowdy Yates to Harry Callihan tough as nails Jan 14 2009 poster is still cool
papabear on Jan 14, 2009
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