Warner Bros. Eyes January Release Shift for 'Gangster Squad'

Warner Bros. has decided to postpone the release of Gangster Squad from Sept. 7 and is currently considering a January release slot. The move is necessary to accomodate reshoots because of a scene of a movie theater shooting in the completed film that became problematic in the wake of the Aurora, Colo. massacre.

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One date the studio is looking at is Jan. 11. Before making a final decision, though, the studio is currently looking at several factors, according to sources, such as how quickly the cast can be reassembled for the reshoot, concerns about cast availibility to do press in January and the competition on the calendar. The only other release currently scheduled for Jan. 11 is Paramount's Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, starring Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton.

The film, which is based on efforts of the Los Angeles police to control the Mafia in the '40s and '50s, included a climactic gun that was filmed at Grauman's Chinese Theater. The scene could be glimpsed in a trailer for the movie that the studio pulled from circulation on July 20 after the shooting that claimed 12 lives.

Since then, the studio has been holding discussions about how to revise the movie, directed by Ruben Fleischer, written by Will Beall and featuring a large cast, including Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn and Josh Brolin.

Warners declined to comment.