'Stain' reskedded with Oscar in mind

Benton drama will bow on 800 screens on Halloween

Miramax and Lakeshore Entertainment have decided to push back the opening of "The Human Stain" four weeks to Oct. 31 in order to better position the Robert Benton drama as an Oscar contender.

The film adaptation of Philip Roth's PEN/Faulkner Award-winning book, starring Nicole Kidman and Anthony Hopkins, will debut with up to 800 playdates on Halloween. The previous strategy had called for a platform opening on Oct. 3, expanding to about 400 engagements by the end of the month.

"This is a less-competitive date for this quality, thought-provoking film," Miramax chief oerpationg officer Riock Sand said. "A new date will also allow the talent to travel more exstensively in promoting the film."

Execs announced the decision Friday at the close of the Toronto Film Festival, citing what they regarded as impressive response from critics and media at the event.

"This film has a clear broad-based appeal that justifies a wider opening," Lakeshore topper Tom Rosenberg said. "The additional time will enable us to work on grass-roots marketing to build awareness."

Studios have been slotting prestige pix earlier than usual this fall, given the accelerated awards-season timetable, but Rosenberg asserted that he expects "The Human Stain" will still stand out from the competition despite its later start.

"The Human Stain" will also be shown next month at the Chicago Film Festival and the Hamptons Film Festival. Rosenberg and Gary Lucchesi produced the film through Lakeshore.

The only other wide opener skedded for Oct. 31 is 20th Century Fox's re-release of "Alien" in 1,000-plus theaters, while Disney will go wide with its animated family comedy "Brother Bear" the next day after a limited opening in Gotham and Los Angeles on Oct. 24.