Deadline is reporting that after a screening of an early cut of Oliver Stone’s Savages, Universal believes that they have a summer blockbuster on their hands. Impressed by the early cut, they have moved Savages from the September 28th release date to July 6th.
This puts Savages right in the heart of the summer blockbusters, pitting it against Sony’s The Amazing Spider-Man on July 4, and Warner Brother’s The Dark Knight Rises on July 17. The fact that Universal has decided to place Savages among these films means that the studio must have a tremendous amount of faith in the project.
For those unfamiliar with the film, check you the plot summary below.
“Laguna Beach entrepreneurs Ben (Aaron Johnson), a peaceful and charitable Buddhist, and his closest friend Chon (Taylor Kitsch), a former Navy SEAL and ex-mercenary, run a lucrative, homegrown industry–raising some of the best marijuana ever developed. They also share a one-of-a-kind love with the extraordinary beauty Ophelia (Blake Lively). Life is idyllic in their Southern California town…until the Mexican Baja Cartel decides to move in and demands that the trio partners with them.
When the merciless head of the BC, Elena (Selma Hayek), and her brutal enforcer, Lado (Benicio Del Toro), underestimate the unbreakable bond among these three friends, Ben and Chon–with the reluctant, slippery assistance of a dirty DEA agent (John Travolta)–wage a seemingly unwinnable war against the cartel. And so begins a series of increasingly vicious ploys and maneuvers in a high stakes, savage battle of wills.”
Savages stars Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively, Aaron Johnson, John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Benicio Del Toro, Salma Hayek, Emile Hirsch and Demian Bichir, and will be in cinemas on July 6th, 2012.