In the film industry, delays occur all the time for all sorts of different reasons. Sometimes they occur for good reasons, and other times they happen because of some serious behind the scenes drama. Tom Cruise is a performer known for sprinting his way through his films, but even he isn't immune to delays and their ability to stop a film dead in its tracks. His upcoming drug-running thriller has just received a major setback from Universal, but the rationale behind the delay makes it seem like a pretty good idea in the long run.
A brand new report from THR confirms that Tom Cruise's upcoming thriller, American Made, has just received a major delay from Universal. Although the film had originally been granted a January 6, 2017 release date, the film will now hit theaters in the Fall on September 29, 2017. Sorry if you were excited about it, but it looks like it's going to take a little while longer. Those of you who have kept up with the film will also note that the film has received a title change, as Universal had originally slapped it with the title, Mena. We're not experts on the process of titling films, but American Made definitely seems much more engaging than Mena.
The rationale for the date change seems to be purely based on marketing. Universal has come out and issued a statement claiming that fall represents a better time to release an "adult drama" than January, and as such they opted to move up the release date to better suit American Made's genre. With more "popcorn" movies like Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, xXx: The Return of Xander Cage, and Friday the 13th all hitting theaters in January, the move will likely pay off.
One look at American Made's plot will instantly make you realize that Universal probably made the right choice. The film follows the real life story of pilot/drug runner Barry Seal (Tom Cruise) as the CIA recruits him from his life as a smuggler for Pablo Escobar to undertake a major covert mission. It's perfectly primed as an intense historical drama (the type that Tom Cruise does oh so well) and a fall release date just feels more appropriate for a film of this nature.
American Made will also bring Tom Cruise back together with Edge of Tomorrow director Doug Liman for the first time since 2014. That particular film was one of the most underrated thrillers of its release year, so even in the face of a few setbacks, we have a very good feeling about where American Made could go from here.
Cinema Blend will bring you any and all relevant details related to the upcoming release of American Made as more information becomes available to us. The film will hit theaters next fall on September 29, 2017.
