In more bummer release date news, A24 has decided to push back the release of It Follows filmmaker David Robert Mitchell’s highly anticipated follow-up Under the Silver Lake by six months. The film was set to hit theaters in just a few weeks, on June 22nd, but it will now bow on December 7th. It’s unclear exactly what led to the release date change, but the film’s Cannes Film Festival debut may hold the key. The film had its world premiere last month at Cannes, where it received mixed reviews. Most critics had some form of praise for the movie, but a recurring refrain was that Mitchell had crafted a sprawling, epic, David Lynch-like tale with plenty of detours. It’s possible that Mitchell will head back into the editing room and recut the film, which is a practice that’s been known to take place after underwhelming Cannes debuts.
As for the box office prospects, December may be a bit of a tougher month to crack given all the awards fare, but then again perhaps Andrew Garfield might break into the Best Actor race. December 7th will see the release of the Saoirse Ronan/Margot Robbie period piece Mary Queen of Scots as well as the zombie musical Anna and the Apocalypse, but there will no doubt be plenty of other specialty releases in the midst of expanding at the time as well.
I was really looking forward to seeing this so it’s a bummer we have to wait a bit longer, but hopefully A24 made the move for the right reasons. The trailer looks incredible, and Collider’s own Gregory Ellwood had plenty of praise for the film in his review from Cannes, so even if the buzz is a bit mixed, my excitement remains high.
Anyway, check out the previously released trailer below. The film also stars Jimmi Simpson, Topher Grace, Callie Hernandez, Summer Bishil, Riki Lindhome, and Zosia Mamet.
Here’s the official synopsis for Under the Silver Lake:
From the dazzling imagination that brought you It Follows comes a delirious neo-noir fever dream about one man’s search for the truth behind the mysterious crimes, murders, and disappearances in his East L.A. neighborhood.
Sam (Andrew Garfield) is a disenchanted 33-year-old who discovers a mysterious woman, Sarah (Riley Keough), frolicking in his apartment’s swimming pool. When she vanishes, Sam embarks on a surreal quest across Los Angeles to decode the secret behind her disappearance, leading him into the murkiest depths of mystery, scandal, and conspiracy in the City of Angels.
From writer-director David Robert Mitchell comes a sprawling, playful and unexpected mystery-comedy detective thriller about the Dream Factory and its denizens—dog killers, aspiring actors, glitter-pop groups, nightlife personalities, It girls, memorabilia hoarders, masked seductresses, homeless gurus, reclusive songwriters, sex workers, wealthy socialites, topless neighbors, and the shadowy billionaires floating above (and underneath) it all. Mining a noir tradition extending from Kiss Me Deadly and The Long Goodbye to Chinatown and Mulholland Drive, Mitchell uses the topography of Los Angeles as a backdrop for a deeper exploration into the hidden meaning and secret codes buried within the things we love.
