Yikes. If you thought the so-bad-its-shelved tribulations surrounding Suzanne Bier’s period flop, Serena, were bad then brace yourself. Per Deadline, the drawn-out controversy concerning the Natalie Portman western, Jane Got A Gun, continues to march forward as its release date has now been pushed back for the third time.
Originally scheduled for release on August 29th, 2014, production problems gave Relativity Media the jitters and they pushed it to February 20th, 2015. Now that winter date seemingly won’t do, as the pic has now been shifted back to a September 4th, 2015 release. That’s a year after its original intended date. Sadly, there’s no real reason given for this third – and hopefully final – change, but it’s not hard to put the pieces together.
After all, looking back at its plagued production this flick was cursed from the start. Michael Fassbender bailed, then first director Lynne Ramsey failed to show up for day one of principal photography. Things then proceeded to get much worse, as Jude Law entered the pic but then similarly vacated when Ramsey fled. Enter Bradley Cooper who signed on to take over Law’s role, only to leave a month after. He was quickly replaced by Ewan McGregor. It was roughly around that point that the producers also decided to sue Ramsey.
Take from that messy tangle what you will, but somewhere in the midst of the drama a film was actually made. With Gavin O’Connor roped in to direct, Jane Got A Gun follows Natalie Portman’s Jane Hammond. Happily married to her hubby, Bill (Noah Emmerich), the pair wind up being pursued by a ruthless gang after Bill returns home one day pumped full of lead. With the Bishop Boys and their evil leader Colin (McGregor) after them, the pair hit the road seeking retribution.
It’s quite a gnarly story which matches the production quite fittingly. Bearing all that in mind, will you be forking out to see Jane Got A Gun next year?