The Toronto Film Festival has selected "The Judge" to open its annual film festival.

The movie was announced as one of the official selections earlier this week but was promoted to opening night on Friday morning. Director and CEO of Toronto Piers Handling stated, "The stars aligned and we are thrilled to announce that we will kick off the festival with 'The Judge.'"

He added, "David Dobkin has delivered a moving, textured story about family, duty and the way we remember our past. We couldn't have asked for a better start to this year's event."

The opening slot is usually reserved for a star-studded cast of actors and for a film attempting to generate Oscar buzz. The David Dobkin film has been generating buzz for a number of months, especially since it stars Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall.

Both actors are heavily respected in the industry and they have both picked up numerous Oscar nominations in the past. Additionally, Warner Bros. has dated it in the middle of October, which is a month that releases numerous prestige films including a number of past Oscar winners such as "The Departed," "Argo" and last year's "12 Years a Slave."

However, it is important to note that opening night film does not always mean Oscars. Last year, Toronto opened with "The Fifth Estate" starring Benedict Cumberbatch and directed by Bill Condon. The movie went in with a lot of awards buzz especially for Cumberbatch. However it turned out to be a complete flop critically and when it was released in October; it also flopped at the box office.

While "The Judge" seems like it will live up to its promise, it is important to note that director Dobkin has had mixed results with his directorial efforts. He has mostly directed comedies such as "Wedding Crashers," "Fred Claus" and "The Change-Up." "The Judge" marks one of the few dramatic efforts for Dobkin, and that puts into question if the film is actually any good.

The script was also written by Nick Schenk and it marks his second feature after 2008's "Gran Torino." That film was met with rave reviews but did not receive a single Oscar nomination.

"The Judge" tells the story of a big city lawyer, Hank Palmer, who returns to his childhood home where his father, the town's judge, is suspected of murder. As a result Hank sets out to discover the truth and, along the way, reconnects with his estranged family. The film also stars Vera Farmiga, Billy Bob Thornton and Vincent D'Onofrio.

The Toronto Film Festival is known for launching awards season. Many of the season's most prestigious films open at the festival in hopes of generating buzz and distributors. A number of Oscar winners have been screened at the event, including "Dallas Buyers Club," "12 Years a Slave," "Gravity," "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Argo."

At the end of the festival an audience award is handed out, and that award can sometimes be an indication of what movie will win the Oscar. Past audience awards winners that also went on to win best picture at the Oscars include "The King's Speech," "American Beauty" and "Slumdog Millionaire."

The Toronto Film festival is set to run from Sept. 4-14.