Clint Eastwood's 'Trouble With The Curve' Opens Sept 28th & Meryl Streep's 'Great Hope Springs' Moves To August 10th

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by Oliver Lyttelton
January 31, 2012 9:02 AM
5 Comments

Hollywood, generally speaking, does not care about old people. Despite the teen audience seemingly flagging, the studios continue to chase that precious 13-25 demographic, leaving only a handful of pictures to cater for those over 50. But every so often, older audiences will turn up in droves -- think "The King's Speech" or "True Grit" or "Gran Torino" or "Julie & Julia." It's a hard crowd to draw -- they won't simply turn up every opening weekend, which is one of the reasons executives never quite know what to do for them. But if we do know two things about that demographic, it's that they love Meryl Streep and they love Clint Eastwood.

And fortunately, the two stars (Eastwood is now 81, Streep a mere 62) each have new films on the way, and both just landed new release dates. Eastwood, coming off the disappointing "J. Edgar," is taking an acting role for the first time since 2008's "Gran Torino" (and the first he didn't direct since 1993's "In The Line Of Fire") in the upcoming drama "Trouble With The Curve," in which he plays a veteran baseball scout losing his eyesight who enlists his daughter (Amy Adams) to help him land a hotshot new prospect.

The film, to be helmed by Eastwood's producing partner Robert Lorenz in his directorial debut, hasn't yet begun production, but Warner Bros is hoping for a swift turnaround, as The Hollywood Reporter have revealed that the studio will put the film out in just over eight months, on September 28th. It's a competitive date -- the film is up against Rian Johnson's "Looper," Oliver Stone's "Savages" and the Viola Davis/Maggie Gyllenhaal school-set drama "Won't Back Down," but seeing Eastwood on screen in what's expected to be his final acting role is sure to give it enough appeal for the film to hold its own.

Meanwhile Streep, whose "The Iron Lady" is currently performing strongly, is teaming up with Tommy Lee Jones for the dramedy "Great Hope Springs," in which the two play a long-married couple who, with their marriage in trouble, travel to a small town to visit a famed relationship guru (Steve Carell). The project, penned by TV scribe Vanessa Taylor, and directed by "The Devil Wears Prada" helmer David Frankel, was previously set for a Christmas release, as counter-programming to "The Hobbit," but according to Coming Soon, Columbia have boosted it four months up on the release schedule to August 10th, where it will open against Will Ferrell/Zach Galfianakis vehicle "Dog Fight," zombie romance "Warm Bodies" and the musical remake "Sparkle" (although given that's also from Sony, expect that to move shortly).

Some might take the move as a lack of confidence (particularly after Frankel's last film "The Big Year," barely received a release at all, despite three big stars), but this is probably a smart move: Christmas is crowded anyway, while August is thin on fare for older audiences, and Streep had a great success with "Julie & Julia" when that opened at the tail end of July three years ago. You'll be able to take your parents to see that one on August 10th, while they're also sure to enjoy "Trouble With The Curve" when that lands on September 28th.

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More: Great Hope Springs, Clint Eastwood, Trouble With The Curve, Tommy Lee Jones, Meryl Streep, Steve Carell

5 Comments

| Reply
pow wow | February 2, 2012 3:34 AMReply

----Still more decades stale cultural incest, retreads
and demoralization from franchise slum Hollywood.

Take heed ---Eastwood himself, a Korea era draftee
who got out of going, has BALKED and BURIED
half a century of anniversaries for the awesomely relevant

---------------------KOREAN WAR-----------------------.

Again, as police state TREASON and EUGENICS undeniably
unfold -----take heed!
Nik Grape | January 31, 2012 1:30 PMReply

Meryl owns all. Hoping she gets her overdue third Oscar this year, and keeps getting nominated for outstanding performances so she can one day break Hepburn's record of wins.
Jason | January 31, 2012 12:49 PMReply

meryl has the special appeal because at this point, she even appeals to anyone who is just a little more than the average film goer. when i saw the iron lady, i'd say half of the (very full) audience was in their 20s...
CRUMDUGGENN | January 31, 2012 9:34 AMReply

And Meryl Streep will be nominated for her 18th Oscar. The end.
amanda | January 31, 2012 9:10 AMReply

Between this, her small role in On the Road and the Master Amy Adams is going to have a good year. Time for her every other year Oscar nomination.