Richard Gere's Emperor Zehnder

The weather in Antarctica and the peccadilloes of penguins have put Emperor Zehnder on hold for a year.

National Geographic Feature Films and Hyde Park Entertainment have delayed the Richard Gere starrer, directed by Gregory Hoblit, over concerns they'll miss the planned October start date. That time of year passes for spring at the South Pole and provides a relative break in the weather.

The complicated technical nature of the shoot -- including the underwater footage of the birds -- made shooting later in the year too risky.

Disney remains in place as the distributor, having picked up North American, U.K., Australian and New Zealand rights in May.