So both Affleck brothers may find themselves on the Oscar circuit this year.Ĭhristmas is crowded. Ranking at the top of Oscar-watchers’ lists is Kenneth Lonergan’s “Manchester by the Sea” with Casey Affleck getting strong marks in the Best Actor category. That’s called hedging your bets: while the film from director Ben Younger (“Boiler Room”) played to audiences at Telluride and Toronto, critics were muted in their praise, and it’s not ranking high with Oscar pundits. The distributor has moved back the date for Miles Teller boxing picture, “Bleed for This,” from a limited November 4 release to a wide break on November 18. But Open Road, which pushed “Spotlight” to a Best Picture win last year, decided to wait for the new year. Zoe Saldana, Sienna Miller, Elle Fanning, Brendan Gleeson, and Chris Cooper also star.Īnother movie on the cusp of a December release date was Reginald Hudlin’s “Marshall,” a biopic about Thurgood Marshall starring Chadwick Boseman and “The People v. “Live By Night” stars Affleck as the son of a Boston policeman who pursues a career in the underworld. He hasn’t faltered yet, from “Gone Baby Gone” (his first Lehane adaptation) and “The Town” to his biggest hit, “Argo,” which was snubbed by the Academy directors but went on to three wins, including Best Picture. While Affleck can be hit or miss as a movie star, he’s a winner when it comes to directing. READ MORE: First Look: Ben Affleck’s Long-Awaited Gangster Drama, ‘Live By Night’ ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ Launches Oscar Campaign at Cannes Warren Beatty’s “Rules Don’t Apply” will world premiere at AFI Fest right before its November 23 release. That festival also debuted Clint Eastwood’s “American Sniper” and Ava DuVernay’s “Selma,” both eventual Oscar players. The next slot to watch for the film is Los Angeles’ AFI Fest, the new prime debut spot for late-year contenders. Back in August, Fanning, at least, told WWD that “it’s coming out in December, at the end of this year.” This suggested they had the option of opening the movie for awards consideration in December, assuming Affleck got the movie finished. Back in June, the studio pushed the movie’s release up from Octoto January 17, 2017.

The Boston ’20s drama starring Affleck and Elle Fanning, based on Dennis Lehane’s novel, will now open nearly a year earlier than first anticipated. Warner Bros.’ “ Live By Night,” Ben Affleck’s long-awaited return to the director’s chair after the Oscar-winning “Argo,” will receive its long-anticipated holiday release date with a limited bow December 25.

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