Update: Still no official confirmation or denial from the studio regarding the Dirty Harry 6 rumor. MovieWeb now reports that a close friend of the site who works for Eastwood’s production company has confirmed that Gran Torino is indeed a Dirty Harry sequel. Meanwhile FilmJerk says that a source has told them the film is actually a “quiet drama” with Eastwood starring as a “rural bigot.” Developing…
AICN is reporting that the recently and mysteriously announced Clint Eastwood directorial/star vehicle Gran Torino is actually the sixth installment in the Dirty Harry franchise! Earlier today we reported on the film, which is being rapidly fast tracked for a release this December, speculating that it was probably another Oscar run for Eastwood, but hoped that it was really “Dirty Harry’s Death Proof.”
See, even though Eastwood will be 78 in May (incredible!), the film’s title seemed to reference the too-badass-for-an-Oscar Ford Torino muscle car. The ‘72 model can be seen at the right. Well, just minutes ago, AICN posted an email from a tipster that could not have been more on the money…
“I recently advertised my 1974 ford grand torino classic original for sale in the local here, and within 24 hours had someone from Village Roadshow Pictures interested in having a look at it. He came. He wasn’t interested for numerous reasons (probably the modifications). He told me they were looking for the right car for a new Clint Eastwood movie.
He said it was a thriller about a killer that drives a certain torino. His 1972 Ford Gran Torino is the only thing the police have on him. A retired police lieutenant, one Harry Callahan, makes it his mission to track down the culprit when two young police officers, one Callahan’s grandson, are shot and killed by the guy.”
There’s always the chance that this could be a high, fast one, but it does sound mighty solid. Moreover, the franchise is parked at Warner Bros. and so is Torino. Even Dirty Harry can’t hide from the ‘Net. So, looks like we’ll be seeing Harry Callahan pump punks full of lead with the .44 Magnum in the 21st Century, two decades after his last appearance on screen in The Dead Pool. Oh yeah, and this time it’s personal! Somewhere, Sly Stallone is taking a nap.
Discuss: Dirty Harry 6: Gran Torino, does that make your day, or what?
March 19th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
This made my week.
I cannot wait to see it
March 19th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
YES. I will be there on opening night, guaranteed.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
Fuckin rights, Eastwood is badass.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
If he’s 80, how is he still a cop?
March 19th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
the evolution of eastwood’s directing stands to put a different kind of callahan on the screen. im hoping this will be a drama/thriller like we’ve never seen before. he is my absolute favorite & i have a tatoo of eastwood’s favorite swear word on my chest…(completely trashed in LA, watching his inside the actors studio, long, long ago…)
March 19th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
It sounds like the guy scouting those cars is gonna get fired.
March 19th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
@ OC
This is plausible, but I have to wonder, given the small time frame he has to prep and shoot it if he’ll just make a dirty ole bastard of a Dirty Harry movie again. It could very will be a meditation on the other five films in the vein of Unforgiven or it could be “give ‘em what they want…with blood icing” like Rambo. Personally, I’m hoping for a 78-year-old pissed off geezer who can’t see innocent bystanders (and/or just doesn’t care).
Inneresting. I’ve never watched James Lipton do his smarmy magic wasted.
@ Anthony
If true, that ad wizard certainly spilled the beans didn’t he. :)
@ gag
He’s dirty.
March 19th, 2008 at 11:27 pm
I gotta say I’m seriously giddy right now.
March 19th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
@ gag
can’t you read? “a retired police lieutenant”…
March 19th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
So Dirty Harry meets Death Wish, I’m sold!
March 20th, 2008 at 1:03 am
hunter:
i completely forgot about the time frame so yer right, a shoot em up harry is very likely, but maybe its an idea he’s had for a while and has already had plenty of early behind the scenes/script prep. maybe thats just wishful thinking on my part, but i truly am hoping we dont see something too far fetched, because i keep watching eastwoods golden years in absolute awe, and i’d hate to see a trainwreck. HOWEVER - it would be very legit if he played harry true to form, knowing that this character brought him much success, so why deviate. show harry the respect, you know?
id follow eastwood anywhere, even inside the actors studio. and for all its cheese, eastwood fans will enjoy it, seeing as how the man keeps such a low profile.
March 20th, 2008 at 3:44 am
*Runs out to see all the other dirty harry films*
March 20th, 2008 at 6:51 am
*is currently watching dirty harry on netflix.
This is awesome news - I’ve been wanting to see this for a while. I remember reading an interview with him that said he’s seen a lot of scripts but none really fit and he was just waiting for the right one to come across, so hopefully this one will live up to the characters legacy.
March 20th, 2008 at 8:15 am
Holy crap! This is all kinds of awesome. I am soooo there.
March 20th, 2008 at 8:19 am
I’m hoping for an “Unforgiven in San Fran” feel rather than a retread of “The Rookie” or something. I want an old, tired, Dirty Harry, who has to build up to his old baddass self over the course of the movie.
I’ll take whatever Eastwood gives us though. I don’t think he is the type to drag out his old characters just for the attention/cash (I’m looking at you Ford and Stallone).
March 20th, 2008 at 9:14 am
Uh… April first is still eleven days away, guys…. I hope the entire rumour isn’t based on that one asshat’s email, otherwise, I’ll be damn, damn disappointed.
March 20th, 2008 at 9:46 am
I love Clint Eastwood, too, but how does this sound remotely “solid” or “on the money”? A guy sent an email to AICN saying he put up an ad for his car, and someone from Village Roadshow came by and spilled the plot of the new Dirty Harry film to him? I don’t mean to be a downer here, but did I miss the part of the post where there’s something verifiable?
March 20th, 2008 at 11:14 am
I really expected this to be debunked by today, and yet it continues to spread. Not really sure what to make of that.
The AICN scoop sounds %100 fake, but it’s the details surrounding this film that really make me curious.
Why is Warner eager to rush another Eastwood film in time for December? If it’s just for the Oscar nod…isn’t that what The Changeling is already there for?
Another routine thriller like Blood Work doesn’t really justify a holiday release. Clint’s recent non-Oscar films haven’t exctly fired up the box office. Meanwhile, every Dirty Harry film (except The Dead Pool) was released in December…
This is certainly the most interesting Dirty Harry 6 rumor we’ve had in years.
March 20th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Who’s writing this script? And I wonder how old Dirty Harry is supposed to be. They’ll probably say he’s something like 62? There’s no way a 78 year old guy is doing anything but hit the buffet line at the early bird special.
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:18 am
WELL, YES HE CAN! JUST BECAUSE DIRTY HARRY IS 78, DOESN’T MEAN HE IS NOT FIT AND YOUNG AT HEART. 78 IS JUST A NUMBER, LOOK AT THE REAL CLINT EASTWOOD. LIKE MYSELF HE IS A RUNNER, HE TAKES GOOD CARE OF HIS HEALTH, AND I BET HE COULD GO AFTER ANYONE THAT MIGHT HURT HIS FAMILY. I HAVE BEEN A RUNNER FOR 30 YEARS, I WILL BE 59 IN MAY, AND I WANT TO BE JUST LIKE CLINT AT 78, STILL RUNNING AND STILL WORKING, I AM A TEACHER AND A GRANDMOTHER TO 7. I WORK WITH YOUNG SPECIAL STUDENTS. WAY TO GO OLD MAN, BECAUSE AGE IS JUST A NUMBER, IT IS HOW YOU FEEL THAT REALLY COUNTS , AND HARRY, CLINT AND I ARE ONLY 17 AT HEART. MY HUSBAND AND I CAN HARDLY WAIT FOR THE MOVIE TO COME OUT. WE FELL IN LOVE WATCHING DIRTY HARRY. AND WE WILL ALWAYS SUPPORT HIM. HE IS WHAT AMERICANS NEED TO BE-NO NONSENSE TOUGH.
May 1st, 2008 at 4:51 am
Anything Clint is invloved with is worth seeing. At first I was a little skeptical on this being another Dirty Harry but if anyone can pull it off at age 78, its Clint.