Fact Check

Did Clint Eastwood Get 'Terribly Tragic News' Over His Latest Movie?

A dubious web site claimed that the director received 'heavy insults" over the film, but failed to provide any evidence.

Published May 1, 2017

 (Tinseltown/Shutterstock)
Image Via Tinseltown/Shutterstock
Claim:
Clint Eastwood received "tragic news" and was subjected to "heavy insults" because of his new movie.

In March 2017, the web site ENH News reported, with no supporting evidence, that director Clint Eastwood had received "terribly tragic news", making reference to "heavy insults" because of the subject matter of his next project:

This previous week, the well known director announced that his next movie will be dedicated to being courageous in the face of the radical Islamic terrorism. Even now, he comes by heavy insults due to his decision to concentrate his controversial movie on the terror attack that happened on a French Train back in August 2015.

The article does not disclose what the "tragic news" was, beyond a vague mention of insults that Eastwood may or may not have actually received.

The movie itself is real. Eastwood is slated to direct an adaptation of the book The 15:17 to Paris: The True Story of a Terrorist, a Train, and Three American Heroes, which recounts an actual incident — the attack that was foiled by U.S. National Guard member Anthony Sadler and U.S. Air Force servicemen Alek Skarlatos and Spencer Stone, along with an unidentified French national.

But ENH News offers no corroboration for either of its claims, and a disclaimer on the site argues that is under no obligation to do so:

everynewshere has not reviewed, and cannot review, all of the material, including computer software, posted to the Website, and cannot therefore be responsible for that material’s content, use or effects. By operating the Website, everynewshere does not represent or imply that it endorses the material there posted, or that it believes such material to be accurate, useful or non-harmful.

No release date has been announced for the film.

Sources

The Guardian. "Clint Eastwood Set To Direct Film About France Train Attack." Accessed via www.theguardian.com. 20 April 2017.

Karimi, Faith. "Train Shooting Heroes: The Men Who Helped Avert a Massacre in Europe." CNN. 23 August 2015.

Arturo Garcia is a former writer for Snopes.

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