Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor's controversial comedy I Love You Phillip Morris has been shelved indefinitely in the US.

The film's Stateside distributor Consolidated Pictures Group confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that they have postponed the release of Phillip Morris, which stars Jim Carrey as a gay con artist who falls in love with his prison cellmate (Ewan McGregor).

Despite festival screenings at Sundance and Cannes, and a March 17 cinema release in the UK, CPG has pulled the plug on a planned April 30 US theatrical debut.

It is unclear if the film will make it to the big screen at all in North America or go straight to DVD and Blu-ray.

Phillip Morris made headlines last year when some US distribution firms declared their unease at its explicit gay sex scene between Carrey and McGregor's characters.