Martin Scorsese's 'Hugo Cabret' Moved To Thanksgiving By New Distributor

Re-adjust your countdown clock for the Martin Scorsese 3D family movie Hugo Cabret. Originally scheduled for release on December 9 by Sony, the film will now be released November 23 by Paramount. Starring Asa Butterfield, Chloe Moretz, Sacha Baron Cohen, Ben Kingsley, Jude Law, Ray Winstone, Christopher Lee, Emily Mortimer, Michael Stuhlbarg, Helen McCrory, Frances de la Tour and Richard Griffiths, Hugo Cabret is a mystery film about a young boy who secretly lives in a Paris train station. Read more about the distributor and release date changes after the break.

Deadline broke the news of this deal, which is great news for us but not necessarily for Sony. Sony had the film all set for release in December but GK Films, who is producing the adaption, felt that Thanksgiving was the best time to open the film. Sony didn't want to open on that date because they already had a movie opening – the animated film Arthur Christmas – so they let Paramount take the reigns.

Obviously, by taking a movie off of their slate, Sony is going to save millions in print and advertising costs but this is a Martin Scorsese's first family movie and it's in 3D. It almost feels like a guaranteed hit. Why would Sony let it go? Was there something they saw in the dailies that made them believe the film was worth giving up? I'm sure if Marvel wanted to move The Amazing Spider-Man to another weekend, Sony wouldn't just give the film away. (By the way, I know Sony controls the rights not Marvel, just wanted to give an example – even if it's hypothetical – of it being weird that Sony would give this film up).

There's surely more to it, such as the fact that Scorsese and GK Films head Graham King have a relationship with Brad Grey and Paramount but it still smells a little fishy.

Thanksgiving weekend, November 23, was already looking competitive and now it's madness. Originally, Sony's Arthur Christmas, Disney's The Muppets and Warner Brother's Project X were scheduled and now Fox has moved Rise of the Apes to that date in addition to Hugo Cabret.

Which of those five films will you see first on November 23?