Release date changes are nothing new in Hollywood. It's quite common for a studio to take a movie and push it back or forward a couple months, be it for strategic or production reasons. Usually, though, these kinds of moves happen months in advance - not the week before - but I suppose rules are meant to be broken.
Originally scheduled for a December 10 release date (read: next Friday), The Weinstein Company has decided to delay the release of John Wells' The Company Men until January 21, according to Deadline. Considering that the film is thought to be an Oscar contender by some, the move does seem quite curious, but it does seem as though there is method to the studio's madness. Quoting an insider, the company feels that December is simply too crowded for their film, with True Grit, The Fighter, Black Swan, and The King's Speech all expected to draw the same audience (it's also worth noting that The King's Speech is being promoted by Weinstein Co as well). But what about the film's Oscar potential? The studio is arranging for the movie to be shown for one week later this month in New York's AMC Lincoln Square and Los Angeles' AMC Century City theaters, which is all the film needs to qualify for consideration.
The movie sports an awesome cast that includes Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, Kevin Costner and Craig T. Nelson, but this really is the right move, believe it or not. Despite a strong showing at Sundance this past January, the film's buzz is nowhere near the level of the films mentioned above and it would be an almost guaranteed bomb if it tried to compete against them. January is notoriously the weakest movie month of the year and while it probably won't be making $100 million, it at least stands a better chance of making its budget back. For more about The Company Men, head on over to our Blend Film Database.
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