Encouraged by the meteoric success of Clint Eastwood war thriller American Sniper, Warner Bros. opted to shuffle its release slate earlier this year to ensure Ben Affleck’s long-gestating crime caper Live By Night, once pegged for October of next year, would finally see a release in January, 2017.
That’s a lot earlier than anticipated, but according to The Neon Demon starlet Elle Fanning, Affleck’s passion project could bow even before that. Speaking to WWD (via The Playlist) the actress seemingly let slip that Live By Night is in fact being prepped for a December release – one that would see the period drama muscle its way directly into this year’s Oscar race.
“That’s coming out in December, at the end of this year. That was incredible because [Ben] wrote it, he directed it and he’s in it. I had scenes with the director, you know? It’s intimidating. But I would love to direct, so it was cool to see how he works.”
A faux pas? Warner Bros. hasn’t issued a statement at the time of writing and, at least for now, Live By Night‘s release date remains January 13, 2017.
Based on the Dennis Lehane period thriller, Ben Affleck is the director, writer and producer behind the adaptation, enlisting Fanning, Sienna Miller, Chris Messina, Chris Cooper, Scott Eastwood, and Brendan Gleeson for an old-fashioned bootlegging drama that involves “loyal friends and callous enemies, tough rumrunners and sultry femmes fatales, Bible-quoting evangelists and cruel Klansmen, all battling for survival and their piece of the American dream.”
If Live By Night is indeed shifting gears to enter the crowded December corridor – Rogue One, Assassin’s Creed, Passengers and Collateral Beauty all occupy similar release dates – we’ll let you know as soon as it’s made official.
