The Oscar box office bump fueled some of the Best Picture nominees still in theaters this weekend after being virtually nonexistent a year ago. But the results are still a far cry from what the specialty market saw prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Leading the field of nominated films was Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things,” which Searchlight Pictures expanded by 900 theaters to 2,300 locations after it was nominated for 11 Academy Awards. The erotically charged sci-fi film added $3 million, edging out the $2.95 million it grossed on New Year’s weekend to earn the best weekend gross of its run.