If you were looking forward to seeing director Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of The Great Gatsby in theaters this Christmas, then you were no doubt a little bummed when the film got bumped to an undisclosed date during the summer of 2013. According to The Hollywood Reporter , Warner Bros. has finally set a release date for Luhrmann’s highly-anticipated drama.
Unless something goes haywire between now and then, The Great Gatsby is slated to open in US theaters on May 10, 2013. The release date effectively inserts the film directly into the summer season where it will compete with a number of high-profile studio titles. How will a stylish literary adaptation compete against a slew of big budget Hollywood offerings? Only time will tell.
Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel — which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher, and Jason Clarke — was reportedly bumped from its Christmas 2012 date in order to allow more time for post-production.
“Audiences have been looking forward to Baz Luhrmann’s film adaptation of one of the most beloved books of all time, and we felt this beautifully extravagant and dramatic film would be a perfect way for us to kick off the summer slate,” explained Warner Bros. president of domestic distribution Dan Fellman.
At present, The Great Gatsby doesn’t have any direct competition on May 10; Tyler Perry’s We the Peeples and Richard Curtis’ sci-fi/drama About Time are the only other films opening that weekend. However, Movie Insider reports that Star Trek 2 is slated to arrive on May 17 while Fast and the Furious 6 and The Hangover III open on the 24. Should The Great Gatsby fare well on its opening weekend, the movie may feel the sting of these sequels seven days down the road.
Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby should provide a nice alternative to the aforementioned Hollywood sequels when it opens next summer. The first trailer for the film has been embedded below.