Academy Award® winner Morgan Freeman, along with his producing partner at Revelations Entertainment, Lori McCreary, will be in South Africa this month to attend the local premiere events for the motion picture release Invictus starring Freeman as Nelson Mandela and directed by Oscar® winner Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby, Unforgiven). During their stay in the country, Freeman and McCreary will also support various charity initiatives around the film’s 11 December release.
Shot entirely on location in South Africa, Invictus tells the inspiring true story of how the newly elected South African president joined forces with the captain of South Africa’s rugby team, Francois Pienaar (played by Matt Damon) to help unite their country. The South African cast includes Tony Kgoroge, Patrick Mofokeng, Matt Stern, Leleti Khumalo and Marguerite Wheatley as Francois Pienaar’s wife.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Freeman and McCreary will participate in a corporate charity drive to raise funds for three charities: The Nelson Mandela Foundation, The Make a Difference Foundation and the Chris Burger/Petro Jackson Players’ Fund. The donations will be handed over to these charities on South Africa’s National Day of Reconciliation – December 16th – at an event at Maponya Mall, Soweto.
The trip marks a return to Africa for Freeman and McCreary, who shot the feature film Bopha! entirely on location in Zimbabwe in 1993. Freeman directed Bopha! with McCreary serving as producer.
Opening nationwide on 11 December 2009, Invictus will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company and sub-distributed by Nu Metro Films in South Africa.
