Being released early in the year doesn’t necessarily kill a film’s Oscar chances, but if Dallas Buyers Club director Jean-Marc Vallee was hoping to put himself back in the discussion with Demolition, things just got harder. The film, which stars Naomi Watts and Jake Gyllenhaal, will be released in April 2016.
Fox Searchlight, which distributed Vallee’s Wild with Reese Witherspoon last year, has scheduled the film for an April 8 release, reports Deadline.
Bryan Sipe’s script did land on the Black List and centers on an investment banker (Gyllenhaal) who is hoping to rebuild his life after becoming a widower. He suddenly bonds with a customer service rep (Watts) after complaining about her employer’s vending machines. Newcomer Judah Lewis plays the service rep’s son and Chris Cooper plays the banker’s father-in-law.
Variety notes that the film was shot in New York in October.
Vellee’s recent films have been awards bait, but it doesn’t look like Demolition will meet the same fate. Although he wasn’t nominated for directing it, Dallas Buyers Club was a hit, earning Oscars for Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto. Witherspoon was nominated for her performance in Wild.
Gyllenhaal will next be seen in Southpaw on July 24 and in Everest on Sept. 18.
image courtesy of Jennifer Graylock/INFphoto.com