Relativity Media acquired "Don Jon," Joseph Gordon-Levitt's directorial debut, after its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival for a reported $4 million plus another $25 million in marketing guarantees. The deal promised a wide theatrical release.
"I always intended this to be a movie for a mass popular audience," Gordon-Levitt told Variety in January when the deal was announced. "Everyone told me it was a long shot. Now Relativity is making it happen."
Many thought Gordon-Levitt's film, about a porn-addicted New Jersey gym rat and the women he loves, would arrive in theaters later this summer. "When I was making it, I was thinking that the same guys who loved 'Pineapple Express' or '40 Year-Old Virgin' will really like this movie," Gordon-Levitt told Deadline.com, citing two popular August comedy releases. As it turns out, however, "Don Jon" will now hit theaters on Oct. 18: Relativity announced the release earlier this week, putting Gordon-Levitt's film in the early stages of awards season.
"The last thing we are thinking is an award push," producer Ram Bergman told Indiewire's Anne Thompson via email, throwing cold water on the notion of "Don Jon" For Your Consideration ads. "We just want to make sure that we get the film in front of the right audience."
About that audience: Despite the fact that three other wide releases arrive on Oct. 18 (Lee Daniels' "The Butler," the remake of "Carrie" and the YA adaptation "The Seventh Son"), Gordon-Levitt's "Don Jon" is the only youth-skewing comedy on the schedule for almost two months. The next one, "Anchorman: The Legend Continues" doesn't arrive until Dec. 20.
For more from Gordon-Levitt on "Don Jon," check out this HuffPost Entertainment interview with the talented star.
[via Indiewire/ToH]
