We get word today that The Road may be pushed back to next year. This news is made available to us thanks to the apocalyptic caves of Yahoo:
When it comes to the 2008 Oscars, this could be the end of “The Road.” The Viggo Mortensen-starring dark thriller, which earlier this week had been pushed from November to December, now looks likely to open in 2009. A new release date has not been set, but the movie, a Dimension title from The Weinstein Company, probably will bow in either February or March.
The Weinstein Company declined to comment on any postponement. But director John Hillcoat’s film about a man (Mortensen) and his son wandering a post-apocalyptic U.S. is not expected to be ready in time for a 2008 release, and those involved with the film have decided that it will benefit from more post-production time and a less crowded release calendar.
I am down with the post apocalyptic in a big way. It sucks that we now have to wait for this film, but the first quarter of next year isn’t that far away any more so it isn’t too bad. I haven’t read The Road, but If any of you have – please feel free to share your thoughts on the book with the rest of us.
I can see Viggo in an Apocalyptic film and am glad he’s been cast as the lead in this project. Post Apocalyptic films turn the heroes into hunter gatherers once again and make basic survival the order of the day. Food, water, gasoline, shelter – these are all things that must be discovered and fought for in a world without hope or law.
If they are moving this film ahead because they feel it has an Oscar chance next year, this is great news indeed. It wells up even greater curiosity within me and stokes the flames of excitement. We will be sure to keep you posted on the updates as they are made available to us, and with luck we will have a release date shortly.
The above post was written by Doug Nagy
The book is wonderful. The struggle of surviving in a world that no longer will sustain the parasitic human populace is overwhelming. The movie should hold true to the story line of the novel. This will probably be a sleeper film once it’s released, but definitely worth the wait.
Read the novel first. Then re-read it again. It’s powerful.
Read the book. It’s brilliant. I’m excited, although the potential for disappointment when this movie comes out is very real. It’s basically impossible to live up to an amazing book, which is why I hope that no one tries to make Blood Meridian into a movie. Highly doubtful anyone could pull that off.
I’ve been scanning the Web, too, for a trailer since mid-summer. I’m thinking that because the story is so minimalist, it’s not translating well to film and they’re trying to figure out how to fix it. Hope that’s not the case!
GRRRRR! This has been the one movie I’ve been waiting for since this Summer. I figured something was up a few weeks back, when the film failed to screen at the Toronto Film Festival as planned, and we have yet to see a trailer.
Doug, please read the book. The re-read it. I have no doubt, as with every other person that I know who has read it, “The Road” will immediately fall into your “Top 5 Of All Time” list.
Brent–I agree with you on your “myterious” comment as you described the tone of the book, though in an interview with Rolling Stone, Mr. McCarthy briefly comments that he saw the Earth’s destruction as an impact event that causes the mass extinctions…
Well, here’s hoping early 2009 comes quick…
I picked up the book, read it and then put it down. It was on of those books you could not stop until you were done. It was that good. I have been almost obsessive in finding a site that has the trailer or more picts. It sucks that it will not be released until later. But as others have said I would rather wait and have them get this movie right because it will be damned hard to meet the level of impact the book makes. It is dark, mysterious (you never know what happened, where they are, even who they are…). It is frightening in its imagined reality – there is no super hero, no band of survivors that have presevered some semblence of “normality”, no one to save the day…
The Road is a fantastic book. If you haven’t seen the interview that Cormac gives on Oprah, find it on UTube. She has no idea how to interview him and doesnt understand any of his answers. It’s amazing.
I’ve been looking forward to this movie forever, if it needs a few more months to make it perfect, then I’m down.
jus found out….viggo turned 50 yesterday
I’m glad they are working to get it right. I’ve been a little worried about the film because the novel is so good and I don’t want the film to distort something I enjoyed so much (Children of Men).
I bummed about the wait, but if they get it right it will be more than worth it.
I am most intrigued about this movie. I know that Viggo takes great care in the roles he plays…plus, the post apocalypic genre has already stirred my loins. Too long to wait for the movie, but I hope it’s worth it.
In the mean time, I might have a read of the book.
Goddamn it, NO! This could be the next I Am Legend (which WAS a good movie)
I have heard his books can be incredibly graphic, violent and that he’s a fantastic read.
I will have to hunt me up some books at the used book depot
Doug, i’m not much of a reader but i can honestly say that cormac McCarthy is one of the strongest authors we have today. no Country for Old Men was fantastic, as this book as well. I highly recommend reading the road. it honestly wouldn’t take you more than a week (if you’re a slow reader) it is THAT GOOD. I’m definitely bummed about this bein gpushed back, but I guess it’s worth the wait. John Hillcoat did a fantastic indie western called “The Proposition” which I highly recommend seeing if you haven’t already.
The Road is a damn powerful book. Its minimalistic in its storyline and unrelentingly grim. Not an action fest – ie Mad Max work at all. Its the story about the bond between father and son as they struggle to survive from day to day in an ashland.
Very dark and yet a glimmer of hope shines through.
Yeah, you could say I loved the book.
Viggo is da man to play the father but the movie rests on the shoulders of the kid who plays the son.
I think you are right.
I think I am wrong.
Hey Doug,
Don’t you mean pushed back? I thought “pushed forward” meant an earlier release date in Hollywood?
I think its more to do with the film not being done yet than for Oscar reasons.
They don’t want to release a rushed film.
What a great pic of Viggo. Doug can always be counted on to supply the man-candy for the gals here. Doug’s a true hero!
I’m bummed that they are pushing the film back. I was interested in seeing it. It had a better shot of making some money this fall as opposed to Feb-Mar when ticket sales are routinely low. And it makes no sense Oscar-wise to open it in February or March of next year. Films that open that early in the year are usually forgotten by the time Oscar season rolls around in the fall, so why are they pushing it to such a terrible time to open while still claiming that they are thinking of the film’s best interests? If they truly thought that they had a shot at an Oscar, they would either keep it for this year or open it next FALL, not in February when no one will go see it. Something’s amiss here.
I’m sad i wont get to see it next month. But it sounds like it is being done for the good of the film.
I’m really looking forward to this as i love the book.
I’ll wait. I want this to be as good as it can possibly be. But, I have been really waiting for this for a long time. So, I find the news a bit of a downer.