'The Soloist' takes an abrupt bow, exiting the Oscars stage

The news that DreamWorks is bumping "The Soloist" out of the derby by moving its release date from Nov. 21 to March 13, isn't too surprising. Early Oscar buzz wasn't strong, perhaps because it looks a lot like a pic that already ran the track successfully back in 1996. "Shine" was the tale of a pianist who became a star after being dismissed as a mental case. "The Soloist" charts the triumph of a schizophrenic homeless violinist.

But the announcement caused shocked response around Hollywood since ads have already aired on national TV.

The move fuels speculation that "The Soloist" doesn't measure up to Oscar expectations, but the studio insists it's because the new date hikes its prospects of box-office success.

"We decided it's a commercial movie that will play well in the spring, and we'll give it an aggressive wide release then," Paramount vice chairman Rob Moore told Variety.

Another factor behind the change is the studio's recent decision to release only 20 films a year in an effort to slash more than $60 million in prints and marketing costs. As a result, Paramount Vantage has bumped the release date of "Defiance," which will remain in Oscar contention. Initially, "Defiance" was set to debut in theaters on Dec. 16, but now will bow on Dec. 31, rolling out to wide release on Jan. 16.

While the exit of "The Soloist" takes Robert Downey Jr. out of 2008 contention for best lead actor, he remains a strong candidate in the supporting race for "Tropic Thunder," produced by DreamWorks. He was nominated for best actor for "Chaplin" in 1992, but hasn't rallied into the Oscar race since surmounting his personal problems with sobriety.

Paramount/DreamWorks remains a strong Oscar contender this year with two upcoming releases, both widely touted as best-picture rivals: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "Revolutionary Road."

(DreamWorks)