The trailer for Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby made a lot of waves when it debuted back in May due to its visual razzle-dazzle and clearly not-1920’s choice of music with artists like Kanye West and Jack White singing over the footage. The film’s Christmas Day release had it poised for Oscar consideration as well as a good box-office run, but now Warner Bros. has announced it will move the film to next Summer.
Warner Bros. President of Domestic Distribution, Dan Fellman, made the announcement and explained the decision:
“Based on what we’ve seen, Baz Luhrmann’s incredible work is all we anticipated and so much more. It truly brings Fitzgerald’s American classic to life in a completely immersive, visually stunning and exciting way. We think moviegoers of all ages are going to embrace it, and it makes sense to ensure this unique film reaches the largest audience possible.”
For those hoping to see Gatsby in awards contention, the move clearly sucks all the Oscar energy right out from under it. It suggests Warner Bros. believes the film has strong commercial viability but might not be good enough to hold its own against awards contenders, who by Christmas Day will have been clearly spelled out for even the most casual of movie audiences.
Luhrmann’s most successful film, Moulin Rouge!, also received a Summer release, so perhaps it’s a better time of year for his kind of work. Considering the Summer offers little to no adult-targeted films, it could prove to be a great choice if Warner Bros. can find the right weekend.
No official release date has been announced, but May or June would be the most likely landing spot.