In a film that already seems to be packing plenty of surprises, it looks like Quentin Tarantino still has one up his sleeve.
Confirmed by BoxOfficeMojo, Tarantino’s slavery vengeance tale “Django Unchained” has been set by The Weinstein Company for a Christmas Day 2012 release. Looks like you better leave some room in that stocking for a pair of tickets to the film. The move is an interesting one which seems to follow suit with Sony‘s counterprogramming move this year, slating David Fincher‘s high profile downer “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” with a December 21st release and an ad campaign touting it as “The Feel Bad Movie Of Christmas.” Also, Tarantino is no stranger to the holiday season as 1997’s “Jackie Brown,” also had a similar release, which you might recall even had a “Santa’s Got A Brand New Bag” tagline on its teaser poster featuring a bag full of money.
There are still more questions than answers right now surrounding the film which follows Django, a freed slave who trains under a German bounty hunter and with his help tracks down his slave wife to liberate her from an evil plantation owner. While nothing is inked just yet, Christoph Waltz is pretty much guaranteed for the bounty hunter role, with Leonardo DiCaprio rumored to be locked for the villain Calvin Candie with Samuel L. Jackson as his sidekick. But the role of Django himself is still open. Will Smith has been courted but it appears he won’t be taking the role, with Jamie Foxx rumored to be in pole position for the job.
Either way, December is already looking ridiculously packed with “Life Of Pi” and “Lone Ranger” arriving just days before and “The Hobbit” towering over everybody earlier in the month. But the Weinsteins are making a strong play that the film will be an alternative choice, and a juicy one at that. Filming is expected to start late summer/early fall and it doesn’t look like Tarantino will be rushing for this one to be ready in time for Cannes. Sorry, Thierry.
Superman can\’t move back. The whole reason they\’re even making the movie is to get it out before they lose the rights.
2012 in general has the potential to be hugely stacked. There is also a chance of Bond 23 in late November or December in addition to the locked in Hobbit and possible Superman. Something\’s gotta give.
@padre That\’s what I\’m thinking.
@Paul Probably.
I\’m 100% certain Superman will be kicked to Summer 2013. December is too packed as it is. The last Star Trek movie left a Christmas release for early summer. No reason to see why this new pointless reboot wouldn\’t as well.
But new Tarantino next year! YES!
@ben
I sort of wonder if Man of Steel will completely fall apart, before it gets made. It has happened several times in Superman film history, and is likely to happen again in the future. MOS may be one of those times.
I believe Man of Steel is slated for that month, right? Of course, it could be bumped to summer 2013.
Now I have a movie to see in 2012. Is \”The Girl\” a downer? Rabbit Hole is the downer to beat….