Warner Bros. announced on Thursday that it will release Clint Eastwood’s next film, “The Mule,” on Dec. 14.
Eastwood stars as Earl Stone, a man in his 80s who is broke, alone, and facing foreclosure of his business when he is offered a job that simply requires him to drive. What he doesn’t know is that he is actually being employed to smuggle drugs, and while he quickly gains the favor of the cartel and better pay, he also catches the attention of the DEA.
Warner Bros. tells TheWrap that the mid-December slot was selected because it was seen as a spot where “The Mule” could stand out as an option for moviegoers looking for an adult drama. Other films being released on Dec. 14 include Sony’s animated “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” STX’s romantic comedy “Second Act,” and the Universal fantasy film “Mortal Engines.”
In terms of films that could be potential competition for drama lovers, “The Mule” will come out a week after the wide release of the Focus Features period film “Mary Queen of Scots,” and a week before the Christmas weekend/Christmas Day releases of Universal’s “Welcome to Marwen” and Focus’ “On the Basis of Sex.”