It’s not the greatest looking photo but here is the first official still of Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon in Clint Eastwood’s upcoming drama “Invictus.”
Based on John Carlin’s novel “Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation” and adapted for the screen by Anthony Peckham, the film chronicles the story of the unlikely friendship between South African rugby captain Francois Pienaar (Damon) and Nelson Mandela (Freeman) as they united a whole nation by guiding the national rugby team through its underdog run in the Rugby World Cup of 1995, a year after the end of an apartheid era that spanned nearly fifty years.
Unless you’re a rugby fan, this probably won’t mean anything but for the four of you out there, Samoan back-rower Zak Feaunati has also evidently been cast as cult New Zealand player Jonah Lomu, a robust 6ft5, 280lbs player who took the 1995 World Cup by storm and will probably be somewhat of an on-field antagonist for Damon’s Pienaar and his teammates.
“Invictus” has been long touted as a strong contender for next year’s Oscars and will go head to head with fellow award-season-favorite Peter Jackson’s “The Lovely Bones” on December 11. [Cineast via AwardsDaily]