Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall in ‘The Judge’

Greg Vellante

Aside from sharing the same first name, would you ever imagine that actors Robert Duvall and Robert Downey Jr. could be father and son? Well, that is exactly the relationship established in their latest film together, The Judge, which will open in theaters on October 11th. Downey plays big-city lawyer, Hank Palmer, who returns to his hometown because his father, the town’s judge (played by Duvall) is suspected of murder. As Hank aims to discover the truth about what his father may or may not have done, he reconnects with his estranged family in the process.

In fact, Jack Nicholson was originally in consideration to play the role Robert Duvall is now playing. Nicholson hasn’t starred on screen since 2010’s James L. Brooks’ comedy How Do You Know. Since that time, Duvall has starred in five films, and with The Judge upcoming, the actor appears to be at the top of his game, impressively at age of 83.

The screenplay was written by Bill Dubuque, his first major screenplay and by Nick Schenk, known for his work as the writer on Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino in 2008. Establishing an extremely sharp detour in directorial choices, The Judge will be directed by David Dobkin, who is best known on his work for comedies such as The Change-Up, Wedding Crashers, and Fred Claus.

The film is set in a fictional town in Indiana, yet was shot primarily in various parts of Massachusetts. It premiered at the 2014 Toronto Film Festival just a few weeks ago. While there, Dobkin spoke to The Toronto Sun about the film, stating, “It was kind of a passion project for everybody. So over time, it was our collective experiences. Robert has his own relationship with his dad and his family that he brought it. I think everybody connected to it.”

Here’s hoping audiences connect as well. The Judge also stars Vera Farmiga, Billy Bob Thornton, Leighton Meester, and Dax Shepard.

The Judge opens in theaters nationwide on October 10.