'Tree of Life' bumped to 2010

Terrence Malick’s drama Tree of Life will be released next year, IndieWire’s Anne Thompson is reporting. The drama, starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, had been scheduled for a Christmas opening, but Apparition head Bob Berney (who most recently released Bright Star), says the film simply won’t be ready in time. It’s yet another blow to this year’s Oscar season, which was already looking sparse before Shutter Island got the boot to next year as well. Though Malick’s last film, The New World, ended up a critical and commercial disappointment, it’s safe to say Tree of Life would have been a contender for one of the 10 Best Picture slots. This news certainly helps the chances of several smaller entries (An Education, A Single Man), who have one fewer big-name competitor to worry about.