Last week, two serious Oscar contenders declared that they would no longer be vying for the golden ticket this year, as they’ve been pushed to 2014. Boththe Nicole Kidmanstar-vehicle Grace of Monaco and Bennett Miller‘sFoxcatcher with Steve Carrell, Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo were originally scheduled for Oscar-qualifying releases this fall but due to “not being finished” have been pushed into the next year.

What is still unclear at this point is whether they will be released in the first quarter of the new year in a period known as “the dumping ground.” Infamous for being a period of flops and failures, the early months of any year don’t usually see much in terms of Oscar chances. On the flip side of the spectrum, since the competition is low, it’s often an easy month for better quality films to sweep up the floor.

Another film on the heels of a move is Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio‘s much anticipated The Wolf of Wall Street. Apparently, that film is also not on track to hit it’s November 15 release date and will indefinitely be delayed to a later date. While lots of speculation has suggested that the move will mean a push into 2014, there is still a chance that it makes an Oscar qualifying run in mid-to-late December.

Considering how crowded the release calendar already is for December and how Scorsese’s penultimate film, Shutter Island, make an unexpected boat-ton of money with an early year release, there’s really factors that could mean a shift to both sides of the fence. My hope is that we do see Wolf sometime soon as I’m a huge Leo and Scorsese fan and have high hopes for the film. Having to wait until next year’s fall season would be a huge bummer.

Films shifting unexpectedly is no new phenomenon but having these three big contenders all up and bailing in the span of a week really blows a hole in this year’s ceremonies. A strange coincidence? Maybe. Or perhaps everyone is a little frightened on the heels of the outpouring of love for 12 Years a Slave.

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