Eastwood's "Changeling" set for October bow

Borrowing a page from the successful 2003 release of "Mystic River," Universal will debut Clint Eastwood's latest movie, "Changeling," in limited release October 24, followed by a wide expansion a week later on October 31.

"Changeling" stars Angelina Jolie in the true story of a single mom in 1920s Los Angeles whose son goes missing; when the police return her son to her, she insists they've found the wrong boy, and her case becomes a cause celebre. Eastwood directed the film from a script by J. Michael Straczynski.

Like "Mystic River," it premiered to positive notices at the Festival de Cannes. The fall release pattern for "Changeling" is similar to the one Warner Bros. used for the earlier film -- allowing for reviews and word-of-mouth to pave the way for a broader rollout.

"Mystic" opened October 8, 2003, and played just 13 theaters its first weekend before expanding to 1,467 during its second weekend. Buoyed by six Oscar noms and two wins, it went on to gross $90.1 million domestically.