14 DAY TRIAL // Angelina Jolie produced and directed “Unbroken,” off a script by the Coen brothers last year, and it was believed it would win her her first Oscar for Best Director, thus making her transition from in front of the camera to behind it a certified win. That didn’t happen, but Jolie isn’t losing hope.
She has been working hard this year, with husband Brad Pitt, on a new movie, which will mark her first collaboration with him since 2005, when “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” brought them together and made them fall in love.
Her new project is called “By the Sea,” which she not only stars in but also directs and wrote the script for. Universal Pictures has announced a November release date for it, which means it wants to poise it as a contender in the upcoming Oscars race.
Angie and Brad go for the Oscar together
Because Brad and Angelina happen to be the biggest couple in showbiz, it would make sense to want to have them go for an Oscar together, especially since their separate efforts in recent years have not really panned out.
“By the Sea” has been getting a lot of attention since it was announced, starting with the first rumors that Jolie wanted her real-life partner (they hadn’t married yet) opposite her on the big screen. When the official cast was confirmed, the Internet pretty much went wild with anticipation.
Shooting took place in Malta, and the film is now in post-production. It was initially thought to come out in January, which, until a couple of years ago, was the graveyard month of cinema. Now, January is considered a good month for non-tentpole releases that would otherwise stand no chance at the box office. Every once in a while, it can also result in unexpected grossing, but mostly, it’s all about staying afloat and not necessarily about making a profit.
Universal has confirmed for Deadline that the film will now be out on November 13, which probably means this is when it’ll start to make the rounds on the festival circuit.
The timing is essential here, because most Oscar contenders come out towards the end of the year or in the second half of it. The Cannes Film Festival (in May) was a safe bet until some years ago, but many movies, including Jolie’s “Unbroken,” have failed to sustain momentum until awards season during all these months.
A late release is preferable.
A story of loss
With the announcement, Universal has also released a new still from the film, which you can see above. It’s similar to the one we got a while back, in that it focuses on the two leads as a troubled couple, but what stands out about this one is that Angelina’s character Vanessa is crying.
This is a story of loss and heartbreak, according to the official synopsis. The story is set in the mid-‘70s and focuses on a dancer and her writer husband, traveling together and trying to work out through their issues.
“This is a story about a relationship derailed by loss, the tenacity of love, and the path to recovery and acceptance,” the movie studio says. “It has been a privilege to explore these universal human experiences with such a generous and talented cast and crew.”
