Movies can get shifted around the release schedule for all sorts of reasons. However, when a movie has their release delayed only a couple of months before it was set to come out, that's either a very good thing, or a very bad thing. Often it means that a studio has discovered that a movie has problems that need to be dealt with. However, in the case of Julia Roberts' upcoming film Wonder, the delay is actually good news. The film is doing so well in test screenings that the studio has decided to push it back to November, where it can be more successful.
Wonder stars Julia Roberts and Jacob Tremblay, the young breakout star of Best Picture nominee Room. Tremblay plays a young boy with a facial deformity who attends school for the first time in the eighth grade and has to deal with bullies. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the test screening success has led Lionsgate to move the film to November, which is a time where family films tend to get more notice.
There is a downside to the date shift however. The specific date that has been chosen for Wonder is November 17, which is the same date that Justice League will hit theaters. Wonder is obviously being placed there as intentional counter-programming, to give any moviegoers not interested in superheroes something to see. The move can quite often work, however, it also means that the movie will have an uphill battle when it comes to marketing just to make sure that the audience in question even knows that they exist.
Wonder is directed by Stephen Chbosky who wrote the screenplay for DIsney's upcoming Beauty and the Beast and previously directed The Perks of Being A Wallflower. The film is based on a novel by R.J. Palacio and has a screenplay written by Jack Thorne and Steve Conrad. In addition to Julia Roberts and Jacob Tremblay, the film co-stars Owen Wilson, Mandy Patinkin, Sonia Braga and Daveed Diggs.
Wonder has been a long time coming. Lionsgate was reportedly working on obtaining rights to the book back in 2012. The fact that the early buzz on the movie is positive is certainly a good thing for them to hear.
Wonder certainly sounds like the sort of heartwarming story that many are certainly looking for around the holidays. Even if it doesn't blow away the box office on its first weekend, it's the kind of movie that can stay strong over the long haul. We know that Jacob Tremblay is a great young actor following his performance in Room and Wonder sounds like it will really allow him to shine. We'll be keeping our eyes open to check this one out when it hits screens in November. Maybe after we've seen Justice League.
