The heck is this movie about, anyway ?

>>Gran Torino .. grossed over ..r $269 million worldwide on a meager $33 million budget.

Gran Torino cost half that. Eastwood's producer Rob Lorenz pegged the cost at $25 million but Michigan has a 42% tax rebate for film – that's the primary reason they shot in Michigan – so the actual cost would be much nearer $15 million which makes Torino's spectacular grosses all the more impressive.

Re Invictus – the trailer allegedly debuts in theaters Nov 13. It therefore would not be a surprise if online were several weeks earlier at least.

>>The film is already set for a December 11 release, which is only one day earlier than Gran Torino hit theaters and despite the fact Gran Torino didn't pull in any Oscars, it still grossed over $148 million at the domestic box-office and over $269 million worldwide on a meager $33 million budget. Not too bad, and I can only assume while Oscar acclaim is expected for Invictus, following a similar unveiling model may be something WB is eying closely with our current economic marketplace.

Er, no. Gran Torino opened in limited release for its first month. The first week of its release it was in only four theaters. By the end of that first month it had expanded to just 84.

Invictus is set to open wide from the get go in something like 2, 800 theaters. Now I accept that may change but the very limited, very exclusive release of Gran Torino is NOT something that WB appears intent on copying with Invictus.

@Harry: I never referenced the limited release schedule and my budget numbers come from Box Office Mojo. I am not sure why you feel the need to nit-pick when all I am doing is pointing out similarities in marketing tactics based on release dates.

harry get a life no one gives a damn this early geez but thank you anyway for the knowledge

>>I never referenced the limited release schedule and my budget numbers come from Box Office Mojo. I am not sure why you feel the need to nit-pick when all I am doing is pointing out similarities in marketing tactics based on release dates.

Regardless of whether you referenced Torino's limited release you clearly DO compare the two films, saying 'I can only assume while Oscar acclaim is expected for Invictus, following a similar unveiling model [to Gran Torino] may be something WB is eying closely'

Or it may not be.

Let me restate, comparisons to the release schedule or grosses of Gran Torino are meaningless. This is not Gran Torino & its release pattern is not going to replicate that earlier film. As for BOMojo they are notoriously inaccurate when it comes to budget estimates. They take the highest figure they can find, regardless of source, & then run with it. Fair enough if you didn't know that but I hate inaccurate & misleading info being peddled about movies. It's not a personal attack on you.

@Jim_A: South Africa. Nelson Mandela. Rugby World Cup.

I just saw the poster over at Latino Review so I guess the trailer is over the horizon.

Latino Review refrenced the pic back to Yahoo, who debuted the poster. Yahoo was the site who premiered the poster and trailer for "Gran Torino", so I do think that Warner Bros is using the exact same strategy to promote "Invictus".