Honest to blog? Diablo Cody just tweeted that “Paradise,” her directorial debut that stars Julianne Hough, Octavia Spencer, Russell Brand, Nick Offerman and Holly Hunter, wouldn’t bow theatrically in October, but rather would get its big premiere on satellite channel DirecTV next week. The tale of a young woman (Hough) who loses her faith following a horrific plane crash (she’s badly burned) and travels to Las Vegas to experience all the seediness the town has to offer, was originally scheduled for an October 18th release date but will now debut on August 8th in your living room.
Cody tweeted: “My movie PARADISE premieres on DirecTV on August 8, so plan on saying in next Thursday w/ pizza & indie.” She later tweeted, in a more Diablo Cody-ish way, “Most directors force you to LEAVE THE HOUSE to see their movie – you can watch mine naked with a bag of Mint Milanos.” She then maintained that it would still be coming to theaters in October, which is good news for anyone without the satellite provider (meaning pretty much everyone).
We are still very much looking forward to the movie, which Cody recently told USA Today was “a non-cynical movie that would inspire positivity,” especially since we’ve been waiting for Hough to really shine after a terrific supporting performance in the “Footloose” remake and an above average performance in the otherwise abysmal “Rock of Ages,” which, had the movie been better, probably would have made her a big time star. Plus, since winning the Oscar for her “Juno” screenplay, Cody has proven herself to be one of Hollywood’s most original talents (we even loved “Jennifer’s Body“). Hopefully the movie’s sneaky debut isn’t symbolic of a lack of support from the movie’s producers and distributors. We’ll find out soon enough, which is good because we need some new Cody-isms in our life (she contributed something to this spring’s “Evil Dead” remake but her hand was invisible).
“Paradise” premieres on DirecTV on August 8th, followed by a theatrical bow on October 18th.
