“W,” the Oliver Stone-directed drama about the life and formative years of President Bush has been set for release on Oct. 17, giving the picture three weekends in theaters before the Nov. 4 presidential election.

Shooting begins May 12 Monday in Louisiana.

Josh Brolin stars as the title character, and the cast includes Elizabeth Banks (Laura Bush), James Cromwell (George H.W. Bush), Ellen Burstyn (Barbara Bush), Thandie Newton (Condoleezza Rice), Jeffrey Wright (Colin Powell), Scott Glenn (Donald Rumsfeld) and Ioan Gruffudd (Tony Blair). No one is set for Vice President Dick Cheney.

“We don’t really know much about Mr. Bush beyond the controlled images we’ve been allowed to see on TV. This movie’s taking a bold stab at looking behind that curtain,” Stone said in a statement about the release date.