We had one film releasing this weekend with the potential for Oscar nominations.

Gangster Squad

In early 2012, Gangster Squad was one of a handful of films with high hopes of Oscar consideration. Shortly after the tragic shooting at a midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises, Warner Bros. announced that out of consideration of the tragic events, they would re-cut an in-release trailer for the film that featured gangsters opening fire on a crowded theater. They also announced that the film would need to be re-edited to remove that scene, pushing the film out of its prime 2012 slot into the doldrums of 2013, January no less.

I commented at the time that I believed Warner’s motives may have been less altruistic and more logistical. Here was a film that they were likely going to have a launch a major Oscar campaign for but, my suspicion is that the test screenings showed the film didn’t play well and wouldn’t be an Oscar contender. They may have been planning for the shift for some time, but used the opportunity of the shooting to push the film into January and make it sound like they were concerned for the public’s perception. I may have been a bit harsh to think this and while I hope it isn’t true, the reviews for Gangster Squad may point to my partial accuracy. Indeed, the film has not only tanked with critics, but the box office has been less than stellar, which may have also been one of Warner’s considerations.

That being said, the star-studded film looks gorgeous in trailers and it could still be a minor player at the 2013 Oscars in the Production Design and Costume Design categories. While I doubt that voters will remember the film in 11 months, the chances persist, which is why I highlight it this week.