Clint Eastwood's 15:17 to Paris may miraculously make its way to theaters in 2017 after all. The Oscar-winning actor/director is quickly pulling together his latest drama based on recent historical events. 15:17 to Paris tells the true story of the 2015 Thalys train attack in France and the three American heroes who stood up to terrorism. As alluded to earlier, the marks the filmmaker's third straight picture based on recent historical events after American Sniper and Sully - each of which garnered critical praise and recognition from the Academy.

Just as Warner Bros. did with American Sniper a few years ago, the studio may be looking to position 15:17 to Paris for an Academy Award-friendly opening weekend with a limited release during the holidays. This practice has become a commonplace for studios these days, as Oscar buzz is generally good for business. However, with Christopher Nolan's WWII epic Dunkirk likely to land the director his fourth nomination, Warner Bros. might be spurring a bit of healthy competition.

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15:17 to Paris was only announced in April, but Variety is reporting that the film will, indeed, be completed and ready for Warner Bros. to release this year, should they choose to do so. Eastwood has proven to be a wizard when it comes to speedy productions, with fast turnaround times on pictures such as Million Dollar Baby and Letters From Iwa Jima - the former of which landed the filmmaker a Best Director Oscar and the latter a nomination in the same category.

Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino

While it is still August, movie awards season is right around the corner. In fact, the argument could be made that the release of Dunkirk last month served as an early preview to the award season. With all the buzz the film has garnered thus far, it is widely considered an early frontrunner for several nominations.

If 15:17 to Paris were to receive even a limited 2017 release date, Eastwood would almost certainly be in the Best Director conversation early on. In addition to Christopher Nolan and possibly Eastwood, household names like Steven Spielberg and Ridley Scott are also being discussed for Oscar consideration. Spielberg is teaming up, yet again, with Tom Hanks for a biographical drama entitled The Papers, and Scott is making waves with All the Money in the World - the true story behind the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III in the '70s, which stars Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Williams, and Kevin Spacey.

NEXT: Could Dunkirk Finally Win Christopher Nolan An Oscar?

Source: Variety