Ang Lee's bittersweet saga of a gay relationship, Brokeback Mountain, which leads 2006's Oscar nominations with eight nods, recouped its $14 million investment several weeks ago. But the nominations in major categories including best picture and director will give it a big boost. It will be adding nearly 1000 theatres on Friday, taking its total count to $2600.
The film, which has grossed $50 million in North America, could reach $80 million by the time the Oscars are announced on March 5. If it gets a handful of awards, it can ride beyond the $100 million benchmark. It will also benefit considerably from the nominations in foreign territories where it has just started rolling out.
Critic's Pick: Oscar noms 2006
The compelling biopic Capote, probing the life of one of the most colourful and controversial of American writers Truman Capote, was playing in just about 325 theatres last week, after having grossed a decent $15 million (for a low budget film).
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Now, the film, which has received five Oscar nominations, is sure to receive a new lease of life. It could be in more than 600 theatres on Friday. Its nominations include best picture, director (Bennett Miller) and actor (Philip Seymour Hoffman).
Looming bigger than Capote is the political drama, Good Night, And Good Luck, another screen biopic. Recipient of six nominations including best picture and director, it focuses on journalist Edward R Murrow's fight against the political witch hunt in the McCarthy era of the 1950s.
The film, directed by George Clooney, is expected to add over 800 theatres on Friday to its existing 105. With its $22 million American gross, Good Night, And Good Luck has already become profitable.
In no other year have so many low budget films garnered so many top nods. Munich cost three times the budget of the other four nominees.
Clooney was the biggest winner; he received a best supporting actor nod to his work in Syriana, and the best producer and director nods for Good Night, And Good Luck. For the same film, he was also nominated in the best screenplay category (with Grant Heslov) -- his fourth nomination. The movie cost about $7 million, while Steven Spielberg's Munich, the most expensive film in the best film category, cost $75 million.
Munich, about the price revenge extracts follows the aftermath of the killings of Israeli athletes by Palestinian guerillas at the 1972 Munich Olympics, had five nominations including one in the best screenplay category, for Tony Kushner and Eric Roth. The surprise nominations for Munich in the best picture and best director categories could also give the box-office dud some boost. One of the lowest grossing film in Steven Spielberg's career, Munich was headed for a fast fadeout with a $45 million gross. It might now get a small boost, but could be bigger overseas, where it has just opened.
Crash, yet another small film to get major nominations including best picture and director (Paul Haggis), is already in video stores. But the six nominations for the film that cost $3.5 million and grossed a surprising $60 million in North America, could revive its DVD sales. A poignant drama of interracial conflicts in Los Angeles, Crash is an unusual film that shines light on racism across the board. It began its journey at the Toronto International Film Festival two years ago where it received some of the best reviews for a festival film.
In fact, many of the major nominees, including Brokeback Mountain, were shown at last year's Toronto festival, some of them making their world premiere.
The controversial Palestinian film Paradise Now about the last day in the life of two suicide bombers, which too was on its way out having grossed a decent $1.1 million, could also enjoy a brief new life.
