We’ve got a couple of release date shifts to share this afternoon.  Briefly:

  • Cosmopolis – David Cronenberg’s twisted thriller starring Robert Pattinson has been set for release on August 17th.
  • Playing the Field – The Gerard Butler-fronted soccer comedy has been moved off of its Christmas release date to December 7th.
  • The Words – The drama starring Bradley Cooper and Zoe Saldana has been moved up to September 7th.

Hit the jump for more on each film.

David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis is one of the years more anticipated titles for two main reasons: it’s a new David Cronenberg film, and Twilight star Robert Pattinson gets the chance to stretch way out of his comfort zone in this strange (read: Cronenberg-esque) story.  The film is set in the near future and Pattinson plays a successful banker whose entire life unravels over a single day.  The pic premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to a mixed reaction, with many noting the film’s slow pace due to the fact that the majority of the screentime is spent inside a limo.  That said, the trailers looks wildly surreal and I’m eager to see what Cronenberg has up his sleeve regardless of the film’s reaction.  The film will likely get a limited release on August 17th, but the wide release competition includes The Expendables 2 and the animated pic ParaNorman.

Additionally, per Box Office Mojo the comedy Playing the Field has been moved off of the crowded December 25th release slot to the earlier date of December 7th.  Gerard Butler stars as a former soccer star who decides to coach his son’s little league soccer team, only to become the object of attraction for the town’s local women.  The cast also includes Jessica Biel, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Dennis Quaid.  The pic is currently the only wide release slated for December 7th, with the Bill Murray-fronted historical drama Hyde Park on Hudson opening in limited release.  That said, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and Les Miserables open the following weekend.

Finally, the Sundance drama The Words has undergone a slight release date shuffle.  The film has been moved up from September 21st to September 7th.  Bradley Cooper stars as a writer who becomes famous off a plagiarized manuscript and then has to face his actions when he meets the original author (Jeremy Irons).  Our own Matt Goldberg gave the film a rave review at Sundance, and the first trailer is very promising.  The only other film slated for a wide release on the September 7th date is Warner Bros.’ period crime drama Gangster Squad.  The cast also includes Olivia Wilde and Ben Barnes.