Aug 29, 2011

Smiley Keeps the Cousins Waiting: Tinker, Tailor Delayed

Smiley Keeps the Cousins Waiting: Tinker, Tailor Delayed

So much for the special relationship. In possible retaliation for how the CIA treated Smiley in The Honourable Schoolboy, Americans will have to wait even longer to see Tomas Alfredson's new film version of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, based on the classic John Le Carré novel. Tellyspotting (via Dark Horizons) reports that Focus Features is pushing back the film's US release to December 9 in order to better position it for Academy Awards consideration. The Gary Oldman starrer was previously slotted for November 18. While I understand their thinking, this is incredibly frustrating! Lucky UK audiences will still get to see Oldman's take on George Smiley in just a few short weeks on September 16. In other Smiley news, IMP Awards has revealed yet another character poster (pictured), this one portraying Benedict Cumberbatch's take on Smiley's right-hand man Peter Guillam. And yet another trailer has materialized, this one billed as the international version and offering a bit of new footage and a load of "based on the best-selling novel" sort of voiceover. Americans, disregard that September release date at the end!

3 comments:

Bob said...

I have a feeling the film will be worth the wait and it will also give me time to reread the novel. Originally read it in the late 70's.

Tanner said...

I think you're right it will be worth the wait! Hope so, anyway. I was considering re-reading the book, too, but I don't know if that will be good for my enjoyment of the film. If the novel is too fresh in my head, then all the changes (and judging from the trailers it looks like there are alot--as there need to be) will probably irk me more... I usually tend to like films based on books more when I don't have the books fresh in my brain.

Bob said...

The Venice reviews are in after the premiere and they are terrific!!!