It almost seems routine. Jason Reitman makes a movie, the critics heave praise upon it, and he begins doing the promotional thing from its release all the away through awards season. It happened with his second and third directorial efforts, Juno and Up in the Air. Will Young Adult continue tradition?
Well, it’s got Reitman teaming up with Diablo Cody who, if you love her (she wrote Juno) or hate her (she also wrote Jennifer’s Body), is forever going to be an Oscar-winning writer.
Paramount, who released Reitman’s Up in the Air, will give Young Adult a limited release on December 9th, followed by a larger roll out the following week. Paramount did a similar strategy with its release of The Fighter last year – a film that went on to be nominated for six Academy Awards, winning for supporting actor (Christian Bale) and supporting actress (Melissa Leo).
Those expecting Juno 2 may be disappointed. Reitman is quoted as saying that this story of a divorced young-adult fiction writer (Charlize Theron) who returns to her Minnesota home to chase after her now-married-with-kids ex-boyfriend (Patrick Wilson) is not in the same mold as Sweet Home Alabama. Decidedly darker and more mature, audiences will get to see a different side of Theron. Maybe not in the vein of Monster, but heavy on narcissism and totally unlikable.