As Abhishek insists on a December release for 'Players', director duo Abbas-Mustan seem unsure of meeting deadlines

Seems like Abhishek Bachchan, who hasn't delivered a memorable hit in quite some time now, is trying really hard to get back into the box-office race. The actor is making sure that his next movie Players works for him.

Precisely why he has been apparently insisting on a December release for the B-Town version of the successful Hollywood actioner The Italian Job.

December releases have by far been proven to be quite an advantage for filmmakers, especially the two Khans: Aamir and Shah Rukh. Abhi's Players has been announced for release on December 9 this year. However, we hear directors Abbas-Mustan aren't too confident of finishing the post-production work by then.

Adds a source, "Most of the film has been shot in New Zealand and Russia. They just finished shoot last month. The movie has been shot on a very big scale and there obviously are going to be many details to look into."

December boom

Another reason why the film's release date might not move is because it is the only clear weekend in December. With a rush of releases pre and post Christmas Abhi doesn't want his movie to overlap with the other biggie Shah Rukh's Don 2.

Adds the source, "All who have seen the cuts of Players say that it is looking extremely stylish. As of now post-production for the film is on and they are making sure they speed things up."

Jr Bachchan's last film Rohan Sippy's Dum Maro Dum was declared an average hit. With a blockbuster Hollywood original to it's credit and an ensemble cast including Sonam Kapoor and Bipasha Basu, Players certainly has a big ground to play on.

Thus, it is clear why Abhishek's taking so much interest in this movie. Also, with wife Aishwarya expected to deliver in November, a release in early December would be perfect timing for the papa-to-be.

Abhishek vs UTV

It's not just Players that has kept Junior B in news. Though reports claim that UTV has approached the actor for their film Ghanchakkar, sources say that Abhishek has been too busy to even read the script.