According to Deadline, Amazon Studios has pushed the Tom Harper-directed The Aeronauts film deeper into awards season, bumping the release date from October 25 to December 6. What’s more, the “ballooning disaster film” starring Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones will now forgo its intended traditional theatrical release in favor of a short stateside release via Amazon, followed by a December 20 launch on Amazon Prime Video in order to “maximize in-home holiday eyeballs.”
This also means the film’s partnership with Imax is no longer certain, as the previously agreed upon one-week commitment on the large-format screen is no longer required, despite some action scenes being filmed specifically for the Imax experience.
“The Aeronauts is a spectacular film featuring some of Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne’s finest work. The level of filmmaking is nothing short of a technical feat that transports you to another world high up in the clouds. The theatrical experience is an important part of our business, but our highest priority is our customers,”Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke explained.
She went on to explain that the film is an example of the type of quality customers can come to expect from Amazon’s streaming platform, while noting that The Aeronauts will likely “be a major player in the awards conversation at the height of awards season.”
The Aeronauts tells the tale of a wealthy young widow (Jones) and a headstrong scientist (Redmayne), who go on a quest to fly a hot air balloon higher than anyone in history.
The film is written by Jack Thorne. Harper also serves as producer alongside Mandeville Films’ Todd Lieberman and David Hoberman. Richard Hewitt and Thorne will serve as executive producers.
