I warned you. He ain’t done.
Clint Eastwood turns 95 tomorrow, and by all accounts, he’s not slowing down. Many expected “Juror #2,” which wrapped last year, to be his swan song, but I kept hearing of a “passion project” he was working on, and even had a cast locked up as early as last year.
Eastwood, never one for farewells, has now confirmed to Austrian outlet Kurier, that he’s not done directing. “There’s no reason why a man can’t get better with age,” he said, adding that he still has the energy and experience to keep going. “Sure, there are directors who lose their touch at a certain age, but I’m not one of them.”
Reuters picked up the interview and noted a key detail: Eastwood is reportedly already in pre-production on a new film. No word yet on title, cast, or studio, but given his famously quick turnarounds, a late-2025 release isn’t out of the question.
Last year, a much-quoted THR article claimed that with “Juror #2,” Eastwood “wanted to find one last project in order to be able to ride off into the sunset with his head held high.” It was being touted as Eastwood’s “final film.” Total bollocks.
Eastwood’s filmography has remained remarkably consistent over the past six decades. Some of his very best include “Unforgiven,” “Mystic River,” “Gran Torino,” “Changeling,” “The Outlaw Josey Wales,” “Pale Rider,” “High Plains Drifter,” “A Perfect World,” and “Million Dollar Baby.”
His most recent film was utterly watchable “Juror #2,” and aside from the uneven “Cry Macho” (2021), his twilight years have been, creatively speaking, quite fruitful. I’m particularly fond of “The Mule” (2018) and “Richard Jewell” (2019) — both are very strong entries in his later body of work.
Until then, we’ll let the legend enjoy his birthday—and maybe brace for one more surprise from a filmmaker who’s made a career out of defying expectations.