Perhaps we were being overzealous. We got email confirmation that “The Road” was being pulled in certain markets.
In fact, the email reads:
Dear Members of the Press,
The Weinstein Company has decided to do a roll out release pattern of THE ROAD and it will no longer be opening on 11/25/09 in your market.
This lead us to believe, coupled with other reports, people writing us and telling us the John Hillcoat film had suddenly disappeared from their area, that “The Road” was reverting back to a limited release, one that we presumed would be a NY/LA one.
We’re happy to report we’re wrong there. “The Road” is not going to be a wide release per se, but it’s certainly not a two-city-pronged limited one either. Or at least according to ROP who says they’ve been told “The Road” will open in 31 markets. That is sort of wide, but how many theaters it will be is unknown and technically that’s not the entire country as The Weinstein Company have “confirmed an additional roll out,” meaning more cities are to come. *Update*: it wasn’t that wide. The film opened up on 111 screens to begin with across the U.S. and when it expanded to 117 theaters. To compare, a regular wide release is anywhere between 1,500 and 3,500 screens. A major, major difference.
Something does smell a little fishy here though, not sure what’s up, but we do know the release was scaled back somewhat. Most major cities will have it and smaller areas will have to wait a few weeks, but overall, this is good news. Now will TWC actually push Viggo for an Oscar?
Hello,
I typed "The Road" and "limited release" into the search bar and found this page. I was wondering the same thing- since The Road apparently isn't going to play in either the Wehrenberg or AMC theaters here in St. Louis. I'm rather baffled by that, since you would think a film with a budget this big would get a wider release.
I know for a fact that it will play at a Landmark theater near here, but that still puzzles me. No Country for Old Men gets a wide release, but not this one? The Weinsteins aren't doing Hillcoat or McCarthy a favor by doing that.
yes, and St. Louis is listed on ROP's "wide-release" plan.
I knew something fishy was going on here. I wonder if it's playing in St. Louis at all??
This feels like some studio-driven faux grassroots build the buzz organically Oscar-chasing bullshit. For those of us who have be dying to seeing this film, we're a little pissed by this strategy. With the success of the book, you would think The Road would get a national release out of the gate. Something fishy indeed. Annoying.
I'm honestly beginning to wonder if the film simply stinks. They seem afraid for it to see the light of day. I can't imagine that's the case considering how good the book was and how GREAT Viggo is, but what gives? It's already been pushed back A YEAR!! What are they afraid of? This isn't generating Oscar buzz for me, it's ticking me off to the point that I can wait for the DVD! Redbox doesn't play games!!
No shows in Nashville either, I'm pissed! I've waited so long for this to come out. This doesnt get one screen and GD Old Dogs plays in every theatre? Theres something wrong with this country. The terrorists have won!
yea…. seeing theatres still playing movies that have been out over a month down here in FL, or that michael jackson tribute bullshit.
But no they can't play the road, that'd be fuckin crazy. Closest theatre playing it is a 2 hour drive….
No shows in Olympia or Tacome, and only one theatre has it in Seattle. Looks like I have to drive 2 hours if I want to see this movie.
No showings anywhere in North or South Carolina. I have been waiting on this movie to be released for months I hope they will release it here (Charlotte) soon.
My husband and I both read the book and thoroughly enjoyed it. It does make you think about humanity and we have been looking forward to the movie. It is not playing in any theater in Rhode Island and that is just not right. We believe there is an important message delivered by this great work and why limit it to a few dozen cities? Are they afraid the typical American won't get it? You'd have to be void of emotion not to get this story. I do not want to wait for DVD release.
No release in Memphis either. It's ridiculous. Somebody screwed up with the prints or this is a botched marketing plan.
Nothing in Las Vegas either. The closest showing is four hours away in Pasadena. Very annoying.
Also not playing in the Athens GA area – extremely annoying. I agree that this seems like a half-baked effort to mimic the 'request me at a local theater' grassroots buzz that propelled Paranormal Activity to a huge haul, but doing it by pulling the wide release expectations carpet out from under fans' feet is a punk move. I'm not so much puzzled as annoyed at the predictability of it.
Hey for those in St. Louis it's playing at the Tivoli Theatre on Delmar Boul. So there ya go!
what everyone else said…if they were looking for buzz, they would have gotten it from all of the loyal readers who waited for it through the numerous changed release dates. This is crap, the Weinstein group should be punished.
Nothing in Columbus, Oh either, a capital city and common test market for everything from McDonald's to movies
It isn't playing anywhere in the ENTIRE state of WIsconsin? Gosh I'm SO glad they've been teasing us for so long with the darn trailers. :^( I loved the book, the movie looks great, but definitely not a 3 hours to Chicago or 6 hours to Minneapolis sort of great.
Nothing in the entire state of Ohio; Nowhere in the entire state of Louisiana even though some of it filmed in New Orleans; and only showing in ONE theater in Atlanta! This is BULL!
This is absolute crap. I live in Atlanta and it is only showing at ONE theater. I don't care if you are scaling back….to have one theater playing your film for a city of 6 million people is an absolutely retarded idea. I also live in the suburbs and will have to drive an hour to watch the film. LAME!
Nothing in Iowa either…
Nothing here in Utah either…normally SLC gets covered, but nothing yet.
I think it's a huge mistake to market and advertise a movie with previews and posters and even our local newspaper reviewers were able to go to a screening (and gave it an A btw) with everyone saying it's opening on the 25th and then have it NOWHERE (practically) to be found!
Pretty lame imo
I'm sure the film would of made a very good opening had it shone as planned!
Guess we can only wait and see and hope it shows up somewhere close enough to justify the trip.
Pretty crappy to have what looks to be a fantastic film drug through the mud and leaving a sour taste in your mouth without even seeing it 🙁
No opening here in New Orleans either and some of The Road was filmed here. I've been waiting for this movie for over a year. I guess I can wait a few more weeks, but jeez!! A larger release would have been nicer. I don;t like the shenanigans. Wait a year, then wait some more?? The production company should change its name to Weintease
Very limited release in Canada. I'd have to drive an hour and a half to see it in Toronto, isn't playing anywhere else.
Been waiting awhile for this one, but I'm not making a road trip to see it.
I cant find a place to see it…Hollywood shoots itself in the foot again. Dont whine whine I steal it off the internets.
I live in Miami and i'm not talking about the Ohio Miami i'm talking about the miami with millions of people living in it and the road is only playing in one theater, this is truly hard to believe
Nothing in Phoenix/Tucson that I could find either…getting very aggravated that f-ing "Old Dogs" is playing but this isn't…I hate being lumped into the general moviegoing idiotic public…
Limited here in Mass also, I think the Twilight New Moon Movie is pushing this back, it's all about money to these theaters and they are playing the New moon movie every hour if not twice an hour in theaters around me.
Me thinks this is why The Road got pushed back.. Hopefully New Moon will die down soon leaving room for The Road to get in local theaters…
I wanted to see this movie so bad…the book was great. Any info on when/if wide release will begin?
Well you can all just relax it's playing in Houston (4th largest market in the country), at one old run down theater along with 15+ year old movies that anyone can get on Netflix.
Your guess is as good as mine on the strategy.
Oscars don't go to anything you've actually seen in a multi-plex with HIT screens and stadium seating!!!
Perhaps the jokes on us fans. Most of us will need to take The Road trip to see The Road. It's sad that the Weinsteins have decided on a big fuck you right in the face of a large group of loyal fans. I would have paid to see it opening week, now I won't pay at all. I'll purposely buy a ticket for some other movie and sneak in to The Road. So easy to do. Screw 'em.
See, this is the reason movie piracy is so rampant. The games studios play only encourage the behavior.
The Road is only playing in one theater in Houston, TX. This is a big city, so for me it would be a long drive. So bummed.
Only in 1 theater in MSP/St.Paul. Star Tribune gave it a 4 star review but have to drive an hour away to see it. Something is definitely strange.
It doesn't seem to be playing here in Kentucky, either. Definitely not in our two major cities (Lexington and Louisville).
Not sure what's up with this movie…
And THAT'S why we love Internet Piracy! Give us access to better movies and we'd probably stop downloading them so much!
So next time the store is out of bread, you're going to steal it to spite them because they couldn't afford to fill their order? Don't be ridiculous guys and give yourselves shitty reasons to pirate movies.
You can add Albuquerque to the list of cities this film is being excluded from right now. After the positive reviews it got in USA Today, I find it hard to believe that the movie is that bad.
Well I would have paid to see it, but now I am forced to download it off the Internet.
pathetic excuse, seriously. It's opening wider this weekend… (at least, i ASSUME it will).
Not playing anywhere in Ohio either. Closest Ive got it is either Pittsburgh or Detroit. Fucking movie exec's.
Me and two of my friends, one of which read the book also as I did, went to see it tonight in St. Louis. It was FANTASTIC!!! Wow, we were all blown away by the movie. Moving, scary, effective, and powerful. We were all wondering why it didn't recieve the wide release like it was planned too… It needs to be released on a nationwide scale!
No release in the OHIO, the 7th largest state in the country. Not in ONE city. NOWHERE. The Weinstein company continues to f*ck moviegoers everywhere–the very people that without which, they'd be bankrupt. This is unbelievable. We're not the only ones being strung along by this bullsh*t. What about the actors and crew on this movie that stand to make money from it when it's released in fewer than 100 theaters in the country? We need a good 'ol fashioned boycott of this ridiculous company. Call and leave a message! Weinstein's NY office: 212-941-3800. It'll take less than a minute!
Not playing in the Birmingham, Al area either. Read the book twice, loved it. Can't believe they didn't release it everywhere. But stupid movies like Transylmania show up nation wide.
It is in only two theatres in Phoenix, Arizona, both of which are pretty far from the City Center. No print ads in any of the papers or mags. Someoine mustr have pissed off the studio.
Yeah, we are getting a shit deal down in Ontario Canada as well, seems to be a very limited release here as it is only playing in major cities. I'm a massive fan of the book and McCarthy in general and I've been waiting eagerly for this to come out for over a year now. I'm starting to wonder it I'm ever going to get to see it.
What we need to do is get a petition going, asking these lame fucks what the deal is releasing The Road in such a limited release. Its NOT being released nationwide (it was released the 25th of November, its now the 11th of December and no word yet) so the best we can hope for is to get it on DVD sometime next year? Its completely unfair; we've been waiting patiently for this movie to be released, after so many set backs, and when its finally released its in such a limited showing? FUCK THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY. Those pricks.
Greg, a petition is a smart idea and better than threatening to download it illegally. I endorse it, get it started and i will post about it if you do.
I live about 1 hr outside of Philadelphia, where it's playing in two theaters. Don't think I should have to drive that far for a movie. Especially if it makes the Weinstiens money. I loved the book and love all the major actors in the movie, but unfortunately they're part of a film that the studio obviously doesn't think that highly of.
I'd be down for a petition if Greg got one going; not sure if it would help or not but it's worth a shot. Now I'll go buy my tickets for Transylmania since that's all I can see at the theatre 🙂
Please note that my previous comment on downloading it was just an attempt to vent my anger; there is no way I'd want to rob the makers of this movie of any cash, especially since it seems the Weinstein company has already stomped all over their collective crotches
I saw the movie last year in the first preview in NYC.
It was an amazing movie. Viggo definitely deserves an Oscar.
The movie held your attention and emotions from beginning to end.
I didn't read the book first and after I saw this movie, I went to the store the next day to buy it.
The movie is exponentially better than the book.
I wanted to see it again when it came out but strangely they made it such a limited release.
I don't understand why, it's such a good movie.
Incredible movie. I'm a 44-year old male and for the first time in my life had to work hard at a theatre to stop myself from balling out loud.
Simply amazing.
Finally saw this one…Amazing…glad I was able to support the film, even though their own company seems to not care about them
lol.. Somebody did a no no in the marketing department. I dont know much of anything about marketing movies… but I always thought maybe if I was in charge I might want people to give me money to see my film that I invested millions in so I could see a return on that investment. I dont see how it helps the bottom line to tell fans no when they are begging you to take their money. When you tell someone they are not allowed to pay to see it, that might give the extra incentive to just download it. Its like.. your not allowed to download it.. but you could if you wanted to, yet if you wanted to pay it would be impossible.
In the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex The Road is only playing at one single theater which is the Angelika Film Center & Cafe. This theater is known for showing indie films. For as many times as I've seen the preview you'd think it would be released a little wider in the major markets like Dallas
I agree when people say, The book is always better than the movie. but with 'The Road' by Cormac McCarthey, the movie really does it justice.