As part of the trip, Freeman and McCreary will also support various charity initiatives around the film's December 11th 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. In the wake of apartheid, President Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa's underdog rugby team as they make an unlikely run to the 1995 Rugby World Cup final. 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, in addition to their work on Invictus, shot the feature film Bopha! entirely on location in Zimbabwe in 1993. Freeman directed Bopha! with McCreary serving as producer.
Opening nationwide on December 11th, 2009, Invictus will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company and sub-distributed by Nu Metro Films in South Africa.
