12 Years a Slave Returns to Theaters on January 17

Did you miss Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave when it played nationwide over the last month? Did you read about all of its Golden Globe, SAG and Critics Choice nominations and critics’ awards and think, “Hm… maybe I should go see this” only to learn that the movie had already left your local theater?

If your answer is “yes” to either of the above then you’re in luck because Fox Searchlight is already planning on bringing the movie back into theaters on January 17, 2014–the day after Oscar nominations are announced–for an exclusive engagement in select cities.

It’s a little odd that the movie was in wide release just a few weeks back but lost more than half its theaters last Friday when The Hobbit opened, but clearly, there’s going to be even more demand to see the movie in theaters once Oscar nominations are announced, especially if it gets as much love from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as it has since its premiere at the Telluride and Toronto Film Festivals back in September.

Besides multiple critics groups choosing it as their Best Picture and McQueen as Best Director, 12 Years a Slave has received numerous accolades from the aforementioned SAG, Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards for the performances by Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender and Lupita Nyong’o, its adapted screenplay by John Ridley, the cinematography by Sean Bobbitt, score by Hans Zimmer as well as others.