Originally pegged to give The Revenant, The Hateful Eight and David O. Russell’s Joy a run for their money this Christmas period, The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Oliver Stone’s starry biopic Snowden has been pushed into 2016.
No official reason was cited by studio Open Road Films, though the postponement does mean that the high-profile drama will bow out of this year’s Oscar race. Sources close to the production claim that Stone’s film is yet to be finished, which is likely an understandable consequence birthed from the busy schedules of its leading cast members.
With Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Shailene Woodley primed to topline the picture about the government agent, whose name lives in infamy after leaking a staggering amount of classified information to the public, Open Road’s decision to push Snowden likely comes down to the actors’ commitment to other projects.
Today’s news may mean that Stone’s anticipated feature is omitted from awards contention, but Gordon-Levitt has another vehicles that is flirting with Oscar in the form of Robert Zemeckis’ The Walk. Not to mention the schedules of the film’s remaining cast, which includes Nicolas Cage, Melissa Leo and Zachary Quinto.
Couple this with the fact that the Christmas period has fast become one of the most crowded corridors in recent memory and it’s hardly surprising that Open Road Films opted to delayed Snowden as Stone’s vision is moulded into its final, consumer-ready form.
The studio didn’t disclose a new release date for Stone’s Snowden beyond a vague 2016, but we’ll keep you updated as we learn more.