By Creative Media Times

The upcoming Clint Eastwood-directed film joins the already crowded Oscar fray, as Warner Bros. announced its December 14 release date, Variety reports today.

The release date pits the film against Universal’s Mortal Engines and Sony’s animated Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse.

The story is based on the real life of World War II veteran Leo Sharp. In the film, Eastwood plays Earl Stone, an broke and alone 80-year-old who was offered a job to simply drive, which turned out to be a courier work for a drug cartel.

Written by Gran Torino scribe Nick Schenk, “The Mule” also stars Bradley Cooper, Dianne Wiest, and Michael Peña. Eastwood has worked with Cooper in the 2014 biographical war drama film “American Sniper”

The awards friendly release date is an indication of the studio’s confidence in the film, but is somewhat a surprise considering Warner Bros.’ packed schedule around that date, beginning with “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” in mid November and “Aquaman” during the holidays.

The studio’s “A Star is Born” with Cooper and Lady Gaga, which is getting plenty of buzz also arrives next week.

“The Mule” is the Hollywood icon’s first starring role since “Trouble with the Curve” (2012), and his first to direct himself since 2008’s blockbuster hit “Gran Torino.”