Oscar Grant Film ‘Fruitvale’ Now Has a July Release Date

Apr 08, 2013

"Fruitvale," the film based on the 2009 shooting of Oscar Grant, is set to hit theaters on July 26–three months before its originally scheduled release date.

The San Jose Mercury News offers more details on The Weinstein’s Co.’s decision to bump the film’s release to an earlier date:

The Weinstein Co. is no doubt hoping to replicate the success of "Beasts" — which also earned an Oscar nod for director Benh Zeitlin and actress Quvenzhane Wallis — or other past rare summertime critical darlings like "Little Miss Sunshine" or "Midnight in Paris."

"We want to take advantage of the counterprogram slot in the summer," said Erik Lomis, the independent studio’s head of theatrical distribution. "It’s a very powerful movie and it has a chance to catch the zeitgeist in a more effective way. And there are certainly plenty of films that have come out in the summer that have gotten end-of-year accolades."

The Weinstein Co., purchased "Fruitvale" for $2 million at Sundance earlier this year. The film was written and directed by 26 year-old USC grad Ryan Coogler and stars Michael B. Jordan, Octavia Spencer, Tristan Wilds and Melonie Diaz.