Warner Bros. Moves 'Great Gatsby' to Summer 2013

In a surprise move, Warner Bros. has pushed back Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby from Dec. 25 to summer 2013.

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The 3D epic, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's iconic novel, stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan and Joel Edgerton.

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"Based on what we've seen, Baz Luhrmann's incredible work is all we anticipated and so much more," said Warner Bros. president of domestic distribution Dan Fellman, who announced the move with international distribution president Veronika Kwan Vandenberg. "It truly brings Fitzgerald's American classic to life in a completely immersive, visually stunning and exiting way. We think moviegoers of all ages are going to embrace it, and it makes sense to ensure this unique film reaches the largest audience possible."

Great Gatsby was considered a prime awards contender for Warners, but the studio still has potential contenders in Ben Affleck's Argo (Oct. 12); Cloud Atlas, directed by Tim Tykwer and the Wachowskis and starring Tom Hanks (Oct. 26); and New Line's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Dec. 14), from director Peter Jackson.

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Village Roadshow Pictures is Warners' partner on Great Gatsby.

It used to be virtually taboo for a Hollywood studio to push back the release date of a high-profile title, but more and more, studios are doing just that for a variety of reasons.

One specific issue facing Great Gatsby: DiCaprio stars in another 2012 Christmas Day movie, Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained.

Borys Kit contributed to this report.