It looks like Paramount Pictures is eager to stay in the Martin Scorsese business. Distributing his last two feature length films — 2011's "Hugo" and 2010's "Shutter Island" — the studio has snapped up the domestic rights to the filmmaker's latest "The Wolf Of Wall Street."
Based on the memoir of the same name, and adapted by Terence Winter, the film will tell the true story of Jordan Belfort, a wheeling and dealing New York stockbroker who sees his career and personal life fall into shambles thanks to sex, drugs and alcohol. Leonardo DiCaprio leads the movie, with an incredible cast behind him including Jonah Hill, Jean Dujardin, Rob Reiner, Matthew McConaughey, Jon Bernthal and many more. And while recent set pics have played up the flashier sides of the shoot (ie. DiCaprio double fisting lobsters), this could find itself an Oscar contender.
The studio is plotting the film for a fourth quarter 2013 release, and you don't do that with a Scorsese flick unless you're in the hunt for some Oscar gold. And this, combined with Alexander Payne's "Nebraska," which we presume will be in the race as well, gives Paramount a major presence already twelve months ahead. Not too bad. No exact dates yet, but plenty of time to sort that out. Venice and Toronto? Start working those phones to land the premiere. [Deadline]