Open Road Films has delayed the release date for the Oliver Stone (W.)- directed biopic, Snowden, according to Deadline. The film, which tells the story of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, The Walk) was originally set to release this Christmas but will now hit theaters May 13, 2016.
The news comes after Open Road Films decided the film wouldn’t stand out in a crowded field of this year’s awards contenders which is surprising, considering the film is a biopic about a figure recently in the news. The news is also disappointing as Stone hasn’t had a critical hit since the 90s’ when he made the likes of The Doors, JFK, and Natural Born Killers. While it’s not a guarantee, the move isn’t a vote of confidence from Open Road Films that Snowden will bring Stone back to prominence. However, reports also affirm that the push-back for Snowden may be to accommodate the completion of the film.
This also all but eliminates the awards potential for Levitt whose performance in The Walk is being overshadowed by buzz around the film’s climactic scene. Levitt will also be seen this year in the buddy comedy The Night Before with Seth Rogen (Steve Jobs) and Anthony Mackie (Captain America: Civil War) but given the awards season tendency to ignore raunchy comedies, it’s unlikely he’ll earn any nominations for the film.
We’ll be sure to have more on Snowden leading up to its new release date.
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