Eastwood's Invictus based on Nelson Mandela's life

Directed by four-time Oscar winner Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby, Unforgiven), Invictus tells the inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) joined forces with the captain of South Africa"s rugby team, Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon), to help unite their country.

Newly elected President Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa"s underdog rugby team as they make an unlikely run to the 1995 World Cup Championship match.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Spyglass Entertainment, a Revelations Entertainment/Mace Neufeld production, a Malpaso production, Invictus. The film is produced by Eastwood; Lori McCreary, under her and Freeman"s Revelations Entertainment banner; Eastwood"s longtime producing partner Robert Lorenz, for Malpaso Productions; and Mace Neufeld for Mace Neufeld Productions.

The film stars Oscar winners Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby, The Dark Knight) and Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting, the Bourne franchise). The screenplay is by native South African writer Anthony Peckham, based upon the book Playing the Enemy, by John Carlin. Freeman, Tim Moore, and Spyglass Entertainment"s Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum are the executive producers.

Re-teaming with Eastwood, the behind-the-scenes creative team is led by director of photography Tom Stern, production designer James J. Murakami, editors Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach, and costume designer Deborah Hopper, all of whom most recently worked with the director on Gran Torino.

Filming on Invictus was accomplished entirely on location in and around the cities of Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa. Opening nationwide on December 11, 2009, Invictus will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.