Rumored for what seemed like forever, Martin Scorsese‘s The Wolf of Wall Street will find its merry way to theaters in time for Christmas. Initially believed to miss Oscar season entirely, Scorsese and his crew were able to trim the film down to 165 minutes. The decision to release on Christmas was made after a showing of the film to Paramount chairman Brad Grey and star Leonardo DiCaprio.
The Wolf of Wall Street follows the euphoric rise of wall street broker Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio) and his cataclysmic fall. The movie is expected to be one of the few heavy hitters left in a season of Oscar hopefuls. Just based on the talent and history alone, The Wolf of Wall Street could easily pick up six Oscar nominations (Picture, Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing) and that would only be the beginning. The other Oscar hopefuls include David O.Russell’s American Hustle and Peter Berg’s war drama Lone Survivor.
Scorsese’s original cut of the film clocked in at over 180 minutes and there was no way Paramount was going to release it in that state. The release date of November 15th was quickly taken off the table and many thought it would follow The Monuments Men into 2014. Paramount’s Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit has moved to January 17th in order to make room for The Wolf of Wall Street.
Paramount chairman Brad Grey couldn’t be happier that the film has been finished. He told THR, “Marty’s work is fantastic. He’s continued to work on it but now it’s officially going to be ready for Christmas Day and I’m delighted.” The Wolf of Wall Street stars Leonardo DiCaprio and also features performances from Matthew McConaughey, Jonah Hill, and Jean Dujardin. It opens on Christmas Day.
Source: THR, ComingSoon
