Ten days before it was set to hit theaters, Lionsgate has pulled John Travolta’s Mafia biopic “Gotti.” The studio has also sold the film back to production company Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films, people with knowledge of the matter tell TheWrap.
TheWrap has also learned that the removal from the schedule and resale was not related to the film itself, but rather a question of release strategy. At Lionsgate, “Gotti” was to be distributed through speciality division Lionsgate Premiere, with day and date slated for Dec. 15.
Representatives for Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films did not immediately respond to a request for comment from TheWrap.
“Gotti” tells the story of flamboyant Mafia boss John Gotti, nicknamed the “Teflon Don” until his 1992 conviction on murder and racketeering charges. He died of throat cancer while in prison in 2002. Travolta stars in the title role alongside his wife Kelly Preston, their daughter Ella Bleu Travolta, and Stacy Keach. It’s directed by Kevin Connolly (“Entourage”), and written by Lem Dobbs (“The Limey”) and Leo Rossi.
The Tracking Board first reported the film’s removal from schedule and resale.