Richard Linklater’s ‘Where’d You Go, Bernadette’ Starring Cate Blanchett Release Date Pushed Back 5 Months

The trailer wasn’t one of our favorites from 2018, however, we can’t help but be excited for Richard Linklater’s upcoming film, “Where’d You Go, Bernadette.” Sadly, it appears we’re going to have to wait a little bit longer to see the Cate Blanchett film, as Annapurna has announced (via The Wrap) that the film is being pushed back until much later in 2019.

Originally slated for release on March 22, “Where’d You Go, Bernadette” is now going to hit theaters in August. The five-month delay is said to be because the studio wants to release the film in a much more advantageous timeframe. As The Wrap reports that an Annapurna spokesperson explained that “the move can be credited to August being a great month to release female-skewing films, as ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ and ‘Florence Foster Jenkins’ have shown. After a summer full of action films and sequels, opening this film in August will be a refreshing change.”

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On a purely speculative note, there are a couple different ways you can look at this move. First, we can take Annapurna on the studio’s word and believe the folks behind the scenes when they say they just want to release ‘Bernadette’ in a time that would be more profitable. Makes sense, for sure. Plus, if the film is as good as the assembled talent would suggest, then perhaps there’s a better chance at awards consideration with the later release. Also, and we can’t just gloss over this, March 22 is the current release date for Jordan Peele’s “Us,” which is probably going to suck up all the air out of that weekend’s film discussion.

However, on the other hand, this can be looked at by a more cynical eye. With the first trailer not building much buzz, despite its cast and award-winning filmmaker, Annapurna could be worried about the film bombing at the box office. With “If Beale Street Could Talk” and “Vice” both struggling to find profitability at the winter box office, the studio could be a little concerned about releasing a film that doesn’t seem to have as much buzz as it could have (and probably should have).

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This, of course, doesn’t presume anything about the quality of ‘Bernadette.’ Even if the trailer isn’t a showstopper, we could still be looking at a great film from one of the best actresses on the planet and the director of “Boyhood.”

Either way, it’s interesting to speculate and discuss. But as of now, “Where’d You Go, Bernadette” is scheduled to hit theaters on August 9.