'Nightcrawler' release pushed back after 'Fury' movies

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) - Open Road Films will push back the release of Jake Gyllenhaal's "Nightcrawler" by two weeks.

The crime thriller will debut on Oct. 31, as opposed to Oct. 17, when it was set to debut against the Nicholas Sparks adaptation "The Best of Me," animated comedy "The Book of Life" and the Brad Pitt World War II film "Fury."

Open Road didn't give a reason for the shift, but last week Sony Pictures pushed the release of "Fury" up a month, pitting it head-to-head with "Nightcrawler." Both films would have been pitched at similar adult audiences and that weekend was looking awfully crowded.

In its new slot, "Nightcrawler" has more breathing room. It will vie for attention with two limited releases, the Nicole Kidman thriller "Before I Go to Sleep" and the Daniel Radcliffe horror film "Horns."

"Nightcrawler," directed by Dan Gilroy, features a gaunt looking Gyllenhaal as a driven crime journalist who bends one ethical line too many.