One of the few remaining mysteries of the season has been where Jason Reitman's “Men, Women & Children” would settle on the calendar. Would Paramount opt for a very late bow like last year's “Labor Day” after the director's traditional Toronto Film Festival premiere slot, or try for earlier in the fall? Turns out it's going to be the latter.
Sources confirm the film will open in limited release on Oct. 3 before expanding wider on Oct. 17. That puts it head-to-head with David Fincher's “Gone Girl” to start – though that film will be going wide from the beginning – and competing with the likes of “Birdman,” “Dear White People” and “Whiplash” (produced by Reitman) in the specialty space throughout the month.
Some October real estate was freed up a few weeks ago when films like “Kingsman: The Secret Service” evacuated the corridor. Sony took the first bite by moving Brad Pitt WWII drama “Fury” up from Nov. 14 to Oct. 17, and now Paramount is opting to take Reitman's somewhat darker tale of sex and faux community in the internet era out to the public then, not long after it debuts in Toronto.
As previously reported, Reitman will not be taking the film to Telluride, another typical tradition for him. Call it a casualty of this year's politicking between the two fests, which most agree only ended up hurting the films if anything.
The teaser trailer for “Men, Women & Children” will arrive Tuesday.