The Weinstein Company, once a fearsome awards season studio, has in recent years forged a reputation for continually delaying the release of movies that don’t have Oscar muster, and sometimes just dumping them outright. For example, you might’ve forgotten that “Suite Francaise” starring Michelle Williams recently “premiered” on Lifetime, a fate that also befell “Grace Of Monaco” with Nicole Kidman. Meanwhile, Vulture has a hilarious breakdown of the continual delays facing “Tulip Fever” starring Alicia Vikander, which is now supposed to open on September 1st, but who the hell knows for sure. All of this is to say we’re hardly surprised at this latest development.
While once tipped as a potential awards season horse, Deadline reveals The Weinstein Company has pushed “Mary Magdalene” starring Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix from its originally planned November 24th bow, to next Easter, March 3oth. The reason given is, because Jesus and marketing, but you can bet if Harvey Weinstein thought the film had any slim chance at an Oscar, he would’ve aimed to release the movie by the end of the year.
Directed by Garth Davis (“Lion“), the film tells the familiar story about the son of God, but from Mary’s point-of-view. Mara plays the title role, Phoenix is Jesus (obvs), with Chiwetel Ejiofor as the apostle Peter.
Whether or not “Mary Magdalene” actually gets released next Easter, or if the date is just one stop on TWC’s now familiar roulette wheel of release dates for movies that won’t win Oscars, remains to be seen. Meanwhile, “The Current War” starring Benedict Cumberbatch will now take the vacant November 24th, with Harv getting his Oscar vehicle ready for the fall.