Grace of Monaco, Nicole Kidman’s biopic of the Hollywood legend turned real-life princess Grace Kelly, was scheduled to open on November 27th, but now comes word that its distributor, The Weinstein Company, is bumping the title until sometime next spring. The jostling of release dates and heavy gluts of films headed our way towards the latter part of the year typically boasts more than its fair share of causalities, prompting the question as to the rationale behind the move in the first place. Was it do with quality? Is the film not quite completed? Is it just not a probable awards magnet? Or is the slate at Weinstein a bit too overly stuffed? The company is also set on releasing Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, August: Osage County and Philomena to close out 2013.
The post-Thanksgiving release date has in recent years become something of a lucky slot for The Weinstein Company – both eventual Best Picture winners The King’s Speech and The Artist were released at that time, and last years Silver Linings Playbook earned a robust eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, culminating in a win for Jennifer Lawrence’s performance. So when it was announced that La Vie en Rose director Oliver Dahan’s biopic had settled there, a wisp of confidence surrounded the feature, as well as the awards prospects for Nicole Kidman’s performance. The film focuses on Grace Kelly in her post-Hollywood tenure, settled in as Princess of Monaco, and her continual conflict over marriage and identity. Tim Roth co-stars as Prince Rainer III, the man who swayed the star of such classic films as To Catch a Thief, Rear Window, and The Country Girl to run away from Hollywood.
The move also asks the question as to whether or not The Weinstein Company may perhaps fill that spot in its schedule with one of the countless titles sitting on its shelf. They recently went on shopping spree during the Venice/Telluride/Toronto Film Festivals and purchased titles including Can a Song Save Your Life?, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, Tracks, and The Railway Man, which co-starred Kidman. Either way, any one who was including Grace of Monaco on their 2013 Oscar predictions list will have to wait until next year. No firm release date has been announced, but we will keep you updated on the latest information.
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