Finally! After being pulled and indefinitely delayed from its late 2008 Oscar-contending release, John Hillcoat’s “The Road” will now see the light of day on October 16th according to the film’s official web page.
Based on the critically acclaimed novel by Cormac McCarthy (“No Country For Old Men”), ‘Road’ follows the story a father and son, played by Viggo Mortensen and newcomer Kodi Smit-McPhee, as they trek through a post-apocalyptic world full of desperate scavengers and day-of-reckoning cannibals. Also starring in the film are the likes of Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce, Robert Duvall and Michael K. Williams.
Despite being heralded as a 2009 Oscar stalwart, ‘Road’ was pulled from its 2008 release with its production company, 2929 Productions, citing issues with the visual effects for the film. We had speculated whether Hillcoat’s bleak vision had possibly taken the Weinsteins by surprise and lead them to second guess its Oscar potential. However, with its new October release (compared to say a first quarter release ala “The Soloist” which was essentially — and wisely — given up on) it seems that the studio may have confidence in the film after all which can only mean good things.
The film will mark director Hillcoat’s first big studio film and will feature a score by fellow Australian Nick Cave, who also scored for Hillcoat’s “The Proposition” and Andrew Domink’s “The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford.” The film is also already being touted as an 2010 Oscar contender and is on The Playlist’s 60 Most Anticipated Films Of 2009. [via Bloody Disgusting]