Clint Eastwood's 'Richard Jewell' to premiere at AFI Fest 2019

Veteran filmmaker Clint Eastwood's next directorial, "Richard Jewell" will have its world premiere at the AFI Fest 2019.

The film is based on Richard Jewell, the real-life security guard whose world turned upside down after law enforcement leaked to an overenthusiastic reporter at the Atlanta Journal Constitution that he was a possible suspect for the pipe-bombing at Centennial Park during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

From that moment on, Jewell went from a hero, who discovered the suspicious abandoned backpack and saved hundreds of lives, to one of the most hated men in the US.

Paul Walter Hauser is playing the titular role in the Warner Bros film alongside Sam Rockwell as Jewell's attorney and Kathy Bates as his mother.

"Clint Eastwood is an American icon. It is an honour for AFI to premiere this next chapter in his storied career one that continues to enrich the nation's cultural legacy with undeniable impact," Bob Gazzale, AFI President and CEO, said in a statement.

The film, which also features Olivia Wilde and Jon Hamm, has been penned by Billy Ray. It will release on December 13 in the US.

The 2019 edition of AFI Fest will run from November 14 to 21 in Los Angeles. It will open with the world premiere of Melina Matsoukas' "Queen & Slim" and conclude with George Nolfi's "The Banker".