When a film gets pushed back it’s not good. It usually means a studio knows it has a bad movie on its hands. Case in point: The Wolfman. Production delays, re-shoots and more caused Universal to push the release back a couple of times. (It wrapped production in 2008, had some re-shoots in 2009, and was finally released in February 2010.) However, a film like Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is an exception to this rule. Set to be released this spring, Fox announced it was bumping the film from its April release and moving it to September. The reason: strong reaction after studio execs screened the film. An Oscar buzz was in the air after the screen went black and lights came on.
Another film that is being pushed back is Tim Blake Nelson’s Leaves of Grass starring Edward Norton as identical twins. Norton explains the delay in a recent Twitter posting:
“Update on [Leaves of Grass]: Very good news, the film has been picked up by a new company and will be given a much wider summer release. Details to come but we’re all really happy because now it will likely get to many more cities than just NY and Dallas. This happened very much due to great audience response and reviews and press out of SXSW. So huge thanks to everybody in Austin.”
First Look Studios was the company originally set to release the film on April 2nd in New York and Dallas. I was fortunate to attend SXSW and was absolutely blown away. Grass was only the third film I saw at the festival, but it by far the best film that I saw overall. (And I sat through a total of thirty-six.) When I reviewed Leaves of Grass, I called it a “southern fried masterpiece.” And about Norton’s performance: he “flawlessly pulls off playing an Ivy League intellectual and a hick from Oklahoma.”
Now the only surprise is the new company that will be releasing Leaves of Grass. I can only hope that it is Fox Searchlight who will most definitely be shelling out ad spaces with “For Your Consideration” announcements for Edward Norton for Actor and Tim Blake Nelson for Original Screenplay.
When we know the new release date, we’ll be sure to let you guys know.
