Open Road Films has slated Joe Carnahan's men vs. wolves thriller The Grey for January 27, 2012.  However, Deadline reports that Open Road is considering a limited-release at the end of this year in order to mount an Oscar campaign for star Liam Neeson.  Carnahan is still working on the film and so it won't be ready in time for the major festivals (Toronto, Telluride, and New York) but there will be advanced screenings to determine whether or not there's a serious chance for Neeson to nab his first Oscar nomination since 1993's Schindler's List.  Buyers who bid on the film—(Open Road won with $8 million and a $25 million P&A commitment for U.S. rights)—saw thirty minutes of The Grey and considered Neeson's performance "Oscar-bait".

The film's plot concerns a group of oil-drilling roughnecks who crash land in the wilds of Alaska and must brave the elements and fend off a pack of wolves in order to survive.  The Grey also stars Frank Grillo, Dermot Mulroney, Dallas Roberts, Joe Anderson, James Badge Dale, and Nonso Anozie.  Hit the jump for the press release and other films opening on The Grey's release date.

Here's the press release:

LOS ANGELES, CA, August 11, 2011 – Open Road Films will release the highly anticipated, action-packed survival thriller, The Grey, in theaters nationwide on January 27, 2012. The Grey stars Liam Neeson and is directed by Joe Carnahan (A-Team, Smokin’ Aces, Narc); it was produced by Liddell Entertainment. The announcement was made today by Tom Ortenberg, CEO of Open Road Films.

In The Grey, Liam Neeson leads an unruly group of oil-rig roughnecks when their plane crashes into the remote Alaskan wilderness. Battling mortal injuries and merciless weather, the survivors have only a few days to escape the icy elements – and a vicious pack of rogue wolves on the hunt – before their time runs out.

The Grey also features Frank Grillo (upcoming Warrior and Lay The Favorite), Dermot Mulroney (Burn After Reading, About Schmidt), Dallas Roberts (The Good Wife, 3:10 To Yuma), Joe Anderson (Across The Universe, upcoming ABC series The River), James Badge Dale (upcoming World War Z, The Conspirator, HBO’s The Pacific), Nonso Anozie (upcoming Conan The Barbarian, Atonement, RocknRolla).

The Grey is produced by Jules Daly, Joe Carnahan, Ridley Scott and Mickey Liddell. Executive producers are Tony Scott and Jennifer Hilton as well as Jim Seibel, Bill Johnson and Marc Butan of Inferno Entertainment.

The other films set to open on January 27, 2012 are The Amityville Horror: The Lost Tapes and the adaptation of Janet Evanovich's One for the Money starring Katherine Heigl.