For A24, Fox Searchlight, and all the studios that have a film contending for Best Picture at the Oscars this year, the race is on to try and convert the new attention their movies have received into a big box office bump.
“It’s time to strike while the iron is hot,” said comScore’s Paul Dergarabedian. “The biggest bump comes not after Oscar Sunday, but after the nominees are revealed and moviegoers head out to theaters to catch up. By the time Oscar Sunday rolls around, most films have run their course in theaters.”
The films that have most to gain are the ones that hit theaters very late in the year: Fox Searchlight’s “The Shape of Water,” Focus Features’ “Phantom Thread,” and Sony Pictures Classic’s “Call Me By Your Name.”