Clint Eastwood is still working in his 90s and not stopping anytime soon. The legendary actor and filmmaker known for films like Unforgiven, Gran Torino and The Mule has taken part in a wildlife documentary. However, this has nothing to do with Warner Bros. head’s critiques of the release of his last film, Cry Macho.
The 92-year-old filmmaker and actor will be narrating the new wildlife documentary Why On Earth, which focuses on human interactions with nature, wild animals and plant life. Conversationalist filmmaker Katie Cleary expressed to Fox News her praises for the Western film star and how this documentary brought out a different side to him, saying:
He takes us through the whole process. He’s incredible. He’s a huge animal lover. So, this film really just brings out an amazing side to him that maybe a lot of people haven’t seen, which is that compassionate side, especially for animals.
Cleary’s friendship with Clint Eastwood came from her friendship with his daughter Alison Eastwood, as they work closely together and support each other’s charities like Eastwood Ranch and Peace 4 Animals. This animal advocate loved seeing Eastwood film scenes at his ranch and his interactions with wildlife and his own animals. According to Agrigate Global, the Oscar winner has said in an exclusive interview concerning the film that he appreciates the beauty of animals, as well as seeing everything live. It’s amazing the effects that animals can have on a Hollywood legend like Eastwood who is never afraid to show his tough grit.
As the Best Director winner expresses what an animal lover he is, it’s pretty clear that his part in this documentary has nothing to do with how Cry Macho performed. The new Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav reportedly wasn’t happy that Cry Macho was released, as he was in the process of canceling movie productions he didn’t think would perform well at the box office. He expressed doubt that Cry Macho would perform well, and he ended up being right. With Eastwood's latest film at a budget of $33 million, the neo-Western drama only brought in $16.5 million.
This could have had something to do with Cry Macho being simultaneously released on HBO Max. But it showed that the studio didn't think it could afford to turn away a high-profile actor who gave WB massive hits in the past like Dirty Harry and Unforgiven, as well Eastwood having never gone over budget and making sure his projects were done on time. The critical reviews of Cry Macho weren’t exactly praiseworthy either, as many felt the plot was bland and didn’t have much to convey to audiences.
Why On Earth includes rarely before-seen footage of the people on the ground fighting to protect critical species. This includes endangered orangutans facing rapid deforestation in Borneo and Sumatra, the declining shark population in South Africa and the poaching of nearly extinct African elephants, rhinos and lions to be sold on the black market. Katie Cleary has said that she hopes what people will take away from the documentary is to be compassionate with nature and to learn how to connect with the planet again.
Clint Eastwood facing the critiques of Cry Macho’s release is not slowing him down in terms of taking on new projects. Watch this iconic filmmaker and actor show off his animal lover side in the 2022 movie release of Why On Earth hitting major streaming platforms on August 16th. Cry Macho can be watched now with an HBO Max subscription.
