Clint Eastwood Already Earning Oscar Buzz For ‘American Sniper’

Clint Eastwood may have just finished production of the war drama American Sniper, but the 82-year-old director is already moving to the front of the pack for early Oscar consideration.

The movie is based on the experiences of Chris Kyle, who was regarded as the best sniper in American history. Kyle penned a bestselling book about his experiences before being killed on a shooting range by a troubled veteran.

Warner Bros. just announced that American Sniper will get a Christmas 2014 release, right in the heart of Oscar season.

The timing of the release will be quite significant for Clint Eastwood, the Los Angeles Times noted:

The scheduling move is notable for several reasons. It makes the film a late entrant into the upcoming award season (whether it will be finished in time for a fall fest or two, such as AFI or the New York Film Festival, remains to be seen). It means that after the recent Jersey Boys, Eastwood will have two movies in the same calendar year (that last happened for the prolific director in 2008 with “Changeling” and “Gran Torino”).

Clint Eastwood won’t be the only one to benefit from the early release of American Sniper. Star Bradley Cooper is also getting Oscar buzz for his role, and a nomination will mean the third straight year he is nominated.

Clint Eastwood has had a very busy schedule lately. Aside from his work on American Sniper, he also directed the recent screen adaptation of the popular play Jersey Boys, the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.

Though he last appeared on screen in the 2012 baseball movie Trouble with the Curve, Clint Eastwood has said he could return to acting if the role is right.

Eastwood said the role would have to be challenging, like one of his last acting roles in the 2008 movie Gran Torino.

“Gran Torino, that was a successful film, and it also had a nice little message,” Eastwood said. “I liked that it dealt with prejudice, [and] that it was about never being too old to learn.”

“If I see another, that’s great, but I don’t have the urge, or let’s say, the need to always be in front of the camera,” Eastwood added.

If the early Oscar buzz for American Sniper is any indication, it seems Clint Eastwood is doing just fine behind the camera.