“PHILLIP MORRIS” NOT ON CALL FOR THE TIME BEING

The long-delayed release of I Love You Phillip Morris, starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor as (real life) gay con artists, has been delayed again. The film, which had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009 and was screened at Cannes last May, had been set for release on March 26, then was bumped to April 30, when it was to have a limited run before opening wide in May. Now, according to the Los Angeles Times, release of the film has been postponed indefinitely. Consolidated Pictures Group, which distributes mostly art-house fare, had picked up the film after major distributors shunned it — possibly because of the man-on-man romantic scenes involving the principal characters. (Carrey has indicated that some of the scenes were toned down in an effort to find a buyer.) In its report, the Times observed that CPG’s “acquisition gave hope to some that the independent distribution market wasn’t as bleak as some said, but the postponement suggests that it may, in fact, be that bleak after all.”