Warner Bros’ Hollywood studios have pushed the release of The Great Gatsby back to the next American summer (mid-2013).
Famed Australian director Baz Luhrmann has been working for some time on an adaptation of the famous F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, which will star Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and Carey Mulligan.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the movie was due to be released on Christmas Day in the United States and January 10 in Australia, but now it has a release date of simply “summer 2013”, in a statement from Warner Bros.
The new date means the movie cannot be considered for the 2013 Oscars, but does open up the possibility of a launch at the famed Cannes Film Festival in France.
Despite the delay, studio bosses are extremely excited about the film, which was shot in Sydney in 3D.
“Based on what we’ve seen, Baz Luhrmann’s incredible work is all we anticipated and so much more,” the studio’s president of domestic distribution, Dan Fellman, said.
“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.”
Warner Bros president of international distribution Veronika Kwan Vandenberg predicts the film will be a hit across all types of moviegoers when it is eventually released.
“The responses we’ve had to some of the early sneak peeks have been phenomenal, and we think The Great Gatsby will be the perfect summer movie around the world.”
