The July 30 opening of the gay-themed
jailhouse romance film starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor as a
pair of star-crossed lovers has been scrapped, according to The
Hollywood Reporter.
This is the fourth postponement of I
Love You Phillip Morris' release since February.
While previous delays have centered on
the film's gay content, July's cancellation was due to legal
wrangling between its French movie studio Europa Corp and U.S.
distributor Consolidated Pictures Group.
On Wednesday, a California judge issued
a preliminary injunction preventing the release of the film in the
United States.
Europa Corp claims it has yet to
receive the $3 million advance that Consolidated agreed to pay last
year.
“No amount of spin from Consolidated
can mask the fact that Europa persuaded a federal district judge that
Consolidated breached the contract by never having paid a dime for
this picture, and that the had therefore no right to claim to be a
distributor or claim to distribute the film, period,” Europa
attorney Dale Kinsella told the paper.
I Love You Phillip Morris first
premiered over a year ago at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. But
producers were unable to secure distribution for the film until they
offered a less gay version.
The movie, based on the book of the
same name by journalist Steve McVickers, follows the true story of
Steven Russell (played by Carrey, Liar Liar) and his
improbable, but true, transformation from small-town businessman,
father and former cop to gay white-collar criminal and ingenious
jailbreaker.
After a car crash, Russell's life takes
a most unusual roller coaster ride that leads him to a life of crime,
being gay, and falling in love with his cellmate Phillip Morris
(played by McGregor, Star Wars).
Between 1993 and 1998, the clever
Russell broke out of a Texas jail four times in five years and always
on a Friday the 13th, twice landing a six-figure job as a
CFO of a major company.
Russell's enduring love for one-time
fellow convict Morris, and the dream of being together and free,
proves to be the Achilles' heel that foils his plans.
McGregor has spoken out against efforts
to de-gay the film, telling Out's
Joshua David Stein: “It's nothing but a gay movie.”