George Clooney's 'Monuments Men' Gets Early February 2014 Release

George Clooney's The Monuments Men will hit theaters on Feb. 7, 2014, after losing its year-end release date, Sony and 20th Century Fox announced Thursday.

As a result of the shift, David O. Russell's awards contender American Hustle will now debut nationwide on Dec. 18, 2013 -- Monuments Men's old date -- after opening in select theaters on Dec. 13. Also, Sony and MGM's RoboCop will move back five days and now open on Feb. 12, just ahead of the long President's Day weekend.

Word that Monuments Men won't be an awards contender after all rocked Hollywood earlier this week. Because of the competitive landscape at Christmas, Sony had wanted to move up release of the film to Nov. 15, according to insiders, but Clooney -- who both directs and stars in the World War II pic -- and his team determined it couldn't be done in time.

The Monuments Men centers on a group of art historians and museum curators charged with rescuing art treasures taken by the Nazis. Clooney, who directs and stars in the film, is joined by castmembers Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, Bill Murray and John Goodman. Clooney and producer Grant Heslov adapted the screenplay from Robert Edsel's nonfiction work The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History.

Sony is handling the film's domestic release, and Fox will release it internationally.