UPDATE: Reports have KILLING SEASON getting a theatrical release on July 12th in “large markets” but without much other details and a release less than 2 months away, this is still quite a drop for both actors.
There was a time, not very long ago, that a movie from the director of GHOST RIDER and DAREDEVIL, starring Academy Award Winner Robert De Niro and Academy Award Nominee John Travolta would have been a lock to get a wide theatrical release and at least a respectable box office. But, as the market for films changes, so do the fates of our favorite actors. The film KILLING SEASON is a perfect example of these shifts.
Back at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, a poster was revealed for KILLING SEASON showcasing De Niro with a gun and Travolta with a bizarre beard and a bow and arrow. The film, while not an instant must see, did have an intriguing premise that sounded like it would have appealed to the fans of films such as TAKEN and UNKNOWN.
American military veteran Benjamin Ford (Robert De Niro) has fled to a cabin retreat somewhere in the Appalachian Mountains, to forget the painful memories of the Bosnian War he fought in. One day, visitor Emil Kovac (John Travolta), a European tourist, knocks on his door, and the two men begin an unlikely friendship. When it develops that Kovac is in fact a former Serbian soldier bent on revenge, there begins a one-on-one confrontation and battle between the two throughout the harsh mountain environment.
Fast forward to the present and KILLING SEASON still has not seen a big screen release. Directed by Mark Steven Johnson, the movie has not even had a trailer released. But, in perusing the latest releases on Blu-ray.com, there is box art for KILLING SEASON along with a release date of August 20, 2013. I highly doubt there is any chance of even a short run in theaters with that time, but it looks like the movie isn’t even getting a VOD run, which shows just how bad this movie is or how far Travolta has fallen as a leading man.
The last box office success that Travolta has had was four years ago with THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123 and OLD DOGS in 2009. Since then, Travolta has made 2 movies (FROM PARIS WITH LOVE and SAVAGES). De Niro has had a mixed bag as well, but he has at least been consistent with balancing the bad comedies with great performances like SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK. But, between the two of them, this is a bad sign.
KILLING SEASON has release dates lined up later this year in Argentina and Denmark, but if any of you have seen the movie, feel free to let us know if it is as bad as we are thinking.