'Zero Dark Thirty' Wide Release Date May Move Back To January; Oscar Qualifying Run Set For December

Audiences not located in New York or Los Angeles might have to wait a little while longer to see "Zero Dark Thirty." According to THR, Sony is toying with the idea of giving the Kathryn Bigelow film an Oscar-qualifying release, as planned, on Dec. 19, before rolling "Zero Dark Thirty" out to the rest of the country in January.

Per THR, "Zero Dark Thirty" would open wide on Jan. 11, one day after the Academy Award nominations are announced and two days before the Golden Globes ceremony.

The move is not all that surprising, especially considering how crowded December is for major releases. In addition to "Zero Dark Thirty," the month is already home to "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," "Jack Reacher," "This Is 40," "Django Unchained," "The Guilt Trip," "Parental Guidance" and "Les Miserables." It should be noted that all of those films are set for release after Dec. 14, making the last two weeks of the year particularly jam-packed. "Zero Dark Thirty" wouldn't be the first December-slotted film to blink: "Life of Pi" was originally scheduled for a December release before moving to November, while "The Great Gatsby" was initially set for Christmas Day before shifting to May of 2013.

"Zero Dark Thirty" is Bigelow's follow up to "The Hurt Locker," which grabbed Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director. The film, which stars Jessica Chastain in a lead role (making her a dark horse for a Best Actress nomination), focuses on the hunt for Osama Bin Laden.

For more on the film, head over to THR.

[via THR]