Hitchcock Poster

Fox Searchlight recently moved Hitchcock (previously Alfred Hitchcock and the Marking of Psycho) up to a 2012 release, setting the world of movie bloggers abuzz.  It's a gutsy move, as this awards season is already shaping up to be a behemoth, with most of the major players getting good to great reviews.  Normally, there are a few bombs, but so far, everything from Life of Pi to Lincoln seem to have legitimate stakes at the Oscars.

And one of the most crowded races is Best Actor, with Joaquin Phoenix (The Master), Daniel Day-Lewis, (Lincoln), John Hawkes (The Sessions), Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables), Brad Pitt (Killing Them Softly), Bill Murray (Hyde Park on Hudson), Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook), Richard Gere (Arbitrage) and Denzel Washington (Flight) all in the mix.  Maybe even Martin Freeman (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey)?  Well a guy can hope.

I mention this race particularly because, many assume, Anthony Hopkins' performance as the revered director is assumed to be Hitchcock's most likely claim to Oscar glory.  Hopkins benefits from a long, successful career, a previous win more than 20 years ago (meaning, maybe it's time for another), and playing one of the most beloved, respected filmmakers of all time.  It's the kind of role that has "Oscar" written all over it, and also the kind of role that could potentially have little backlash from the blogosphere; Hitchcock seems like a movie that movie lovers can love.

Rounding out the cast is the great Helen Mirren as Hitchcock's wife, Scarlett Johnason as Janet Leigh, Jessica Biel as Vera Miles, and James D'Arcy as Anthony Perkins (how odd would it be if D'Arcy scored a nom while Perkins was snubbed for one of the best performances in film history?).  Toni Collette, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Ralph Macchio also star.

This poster is full of promise, and keep an eye out for a trailer, which should be hitting soon.

Hitchcock opens in limited release November 23.

 

(Source: EW)