Clint Eastwood’s final directorial film Juror #2 is set to premiere at AFI Fest on Sunday. However, insiders are claiming that his longtime studio partner Warner Bros. is burying the film because executives have “little confidence in the film’s commercial prospects.”

Warner Bros. Burying Juror #2

Two sources told Variety that Juror #2 will be screening in less than 50 theaters. The movie is currently listed for showtimes at four NYC locations, five in LA and one in Chicago. Pre-sales in the biggest American cities are ongoing in fewer than 25 locations.

Meanwhile, Canada’s Cineplex is opening Juror #2 in one Toronto theater and 160 nationwide venues. The insiders allege that there are no current plans to expand to more locations in the coming weeks.

The movie’s release date makes it eligible for the 2025 awards season run. However, it’s getting a far more subdued release compared to competitors like Anora and The Brutalist. One insider went so far as to claim that Warner Bros. simply doesn’t see Juror #2 as an awards contender.

Warner Bros. also made the surprising move of dropping the trailer for the movie just one month before its release. On top of that, the studio is allegedly considering not reporting box office grosses for the film, which is “atypical.”

Related: Clint Eastwood’s Final Movie ‘Juror No. 2’ Scores Release Date

Juror #2 Was Originally A Streaming Release

One source revealed that Juror #2 was initially supposed to be a streaming release. Executives allegedly then decided to move it to theaters as a “gesture of gratitude” to Eastwood for the many successes that he’s brought the studio over the years. Indeed, previous films of his have made billions at the box office and won countless Oscars.

Another insider claimed that Juror #2 “emerged as a point of contention at the studio” in the wake of WarnerMedia’s merger with Discovery, Inc. CEO David Zaslav reportedly was skeptical that the film would turn a profit. He even went so far as to question why it was even made in the first place.

Warner Bros. responded to this report with a brief statement.

Juror #2 is releasing in the U.S., U.K., France, Spain, Italy and Germany with the full support of Warner Bros.,” a studio spokesperson said.

Related: Clint Eastwood, 93, Wraps Filming On Final Movie ‘Juror No. 2’

Plot Of Juror #2

Juror #2 reportedly follows “Family man Justin Kemp who, while serving as a juror in a high profile murder trial, finds himself struggling with a serious moral dilemma…one he could use to sway the jury verdict and potentially convict, or free the wrong killer,” according to IMDb

Kemp will be played by Nicholas Hoult, while the role of the prosecutor will be played by the former Sixth Sense actress Toni Collette. Other stars appearing in the movie include Leslie Bibb, Kiefer Sutherland, Gabriel Basso, Zoey Deutch, and Chris Messina.

“You think you’re going to get some tough guy and he is completely gentle and calm and fun and cracking jokes, and a lot of the crew members — [for example], the craft services woman has been with him for 22 years,” Messina told People Magazine of Eastwood back in December of last year.

“He was awesome. I really loved him,” he continued. “93 years old and completely with it, great notes, up on his feet behind the camera — just a badass. It was super inspiring.”

Juror #2 is set to be the final film that Eastwood will direct after a career that has spanned seven decades. He deserves better than to have this movie be buried, so we hope Warner Bros. reconsiders and starts showing it a little more love.

Eastwood is a true living legend. Let’s make his last movie a hit, giving him the sendoff that he has earned!

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