In a move certain to incite supposition that Richard Kelly’s career is all but over, Warner Brothers has pushed his next film, The Box, back to November 2009. The film stars Cameron Diaz and James Marsden in an adaptation of a Richard Matheson story in which a couple are given a mysterious box that commutes wealth, but which also kills a stranger with every use. Most recently slated for March of next year, this isn’t the first time the film has moved around on the schedule. The film is finished (and rated: PG-13) so the delay isn’t a post-production issue.
Given the problems with and ultimate reception of Southland Tales, this doesn’t look good. But November isn’t a dumping ground. Even if Warners only plans to throw the film in a few theatres, they could easily have done that in March. Can WB market the film into a modest hit next fall, or will this just be a late-season lob?