Baz Luhrmann’s 3D version of “The Great Gatsby” will not be released until 2013, Warner Bros. announced Monday. The film was expected to be in theaters by Christmas -- a promotional poster, still the film’s IMDB icon as of Monday noon, features an elaborate art deco design with the words “The Great Gatsby -- Christmas -- in 3D.”

The change in release date means the film will not be in contention for the Academy Awards. At our movie blog, Movies Now, John Horn notes that the movie has been buzzed about as an Oscar contender. It stars three-time Oscar nominee Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby, one-time Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan, and Golden Globe nominee Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway. Director Baz Luhrmann’s “Moulin Rouge” was nominated for the Oscar for best picture.

“Based on what we’ve seen, Baz Luhrmann’s incredible work is all we anticipated and so much more. It truly brings Fitzgerald’s American classic to life in a completely immersive, visually stunning and exciting way. We think moviegoers of all ages are going to embrace it, and it makes sense to ensure this unique film reaches the largest audience possible,” Dan Fellman, Warner Bros. Pictures president of domestic distribution, said in the announcement, posted at Deadline.com.

Kwan Vandenberg, Warner Bros. Pictures president of international distribution added: “Baz is known for being innovative, but with this film he has done something completely unexpected — making it in 3D — while capturing the emotion, the intimacy, the power and the spectacle of the time. The responses we’ve had to some of the early sneak peeks have been phenomenal, and we think ‘The Great Gatsby’ will be the perfect summer movie around the world.”


Since winter’s Oscar-focused audiences are thought to be more intellectual than the crowds that pack theaters for summer blockbusters, is this a way of signaling that bookish people won’t thrill to Luhrmann’s 3D vision of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic?

Decide for yourself: Take a look at the trailer below.

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