‘The Eagle Of The Ninth’ Pushed To February 25, 2011; David O. Russell’s ‘The Fighter’ Will Hit U.S. Theaters This December

Kevin MacDonald’s roman epic “The Eagle Of The Ninth” has had its release pushed back to February 2011 while David O. Russell’s boxing drama “The Fighter” looks to have settled for a release sometime this December.

MacDonald’s September release always looked questionable, especially after the decision by Focus Features to release Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden’s “It’s Kind Of A Funny Story” on the exact same date. It’s new February 25th release now seemingly touts the film as popcorn fare rather than an award season contender, similar to Paramount’s decision to move Martin Scorsese’s “Shutter Island” last year.

It also explains the case of the missing trailer; a teaser for ‘Eagle’ reportedly screened before fellow Channing Tatum starrer “Dear John” earlier this year, but other than a few reader reports from early screenings, nothing was ever heard of it again. The film, which also stars Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, Mark Strong and Tahar Rahim, follows the the story of young centurion Marcus Aquila (Tatum) who goes about investigating the now twenty-year disappearance of the legion to restore the reputation of his father, who was the legion’s commander.

O. Russell’s “The Fighter,” meanwhile, was always destined for a late, fall release considering its award season potential. However, star Mark Wahlberg, who plays boxer ‘Irish’ Micky Ward, has now reportedly unveiled that it’ll likely hit in December, right in the heart of Oscar season. The film is already scheduled for a U.K. bow on November 26th. The film co-stars Christian Bale, Melissa Leo and Amy Adams in the story of boxer Ward and his half-brother Dickie Ecklund.