Hollywood is wasting little time capitalising on the 2022 Oscar nominations as distributors including Focus Features and Warner Bros plan US theatrical expansions on their best picture contenders.
Focus is expanding Belfast’s footprint in light of the film’s seven Oscar nominations on Tuesday (8) including best picture and recognition for Branagh in the director and adapted screenplay categories.
The black and white autobiographical drama about Branagh’s early childhood in Northern Ireland will increase by 530 cinemas this weekend from 390 to 920. It currently stands at $7.48m in the US since it opened on November 12 and is available on PVoD. The film has reached $13.9m internationally for a $21.4m global tally, with the UK accounting for a stirring $12m.
Meanwhile Warner Bros is pushing out Dune into 678 cinemas this weekend from its current level of 86 on the back of the sci-fi’s 10 Oscar nods. Thus far the film has amassed $107m in North America and around $400m globally. It is also available on PVoD and returns to HBO Max on March 10 as Academy voters head into final voting from March 17-22 ahead of the 94th Oscar ceremony on March 27.
Warner Bros stablemate King Richard, which received six nods including best picture as well as acting recognition for Will Smith and Aunjanue Ellis, will expand from 35 to 440 theatres at the weekend. The drama centred on Richard Williams, father to tennis greats Serena and Venus Williams, stands at $14.9m from its US theatrical run so far and has grossed more than $32m worldwide.
Screen understands Disney is planning a big push for 20th Century Studios’ West Side Story on the weekend of February 25. The musical remake earned seven nods including best picture and nominations for director Steven Spielberg and supporting actress Ariana DeBose. It has grossed more than $36m in the US and $64m globally from its exclusive theatrical release. Disney+ said on Wednesday the film will debut on the platform on March 2 in the US and most countries, followed by Taiwan on March 9 and Japan on March 30.
Netflix plans to expand its revisionist western The Power Of The Dog, which leads the pack on 12 nominations including the categories of best picture, director (Jane Campion) and lead actor (Benedict Cumberbatch), to around 200 cinemas this weekend, which will be the film’s widest US release.
Fellow best picture nominee Don’t Look Up from Adam MacKay earned four nods overall and will be in more than 30 cinemas this weekend. Paolo Sorrentino’s international feature nominee The Hand Of God from Italy and The Lost Daughter, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s drama that earned three nominations for actors Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley and adapted screenplay recognition for Gyllenhaal, will be in around 10 each. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical Tick, Tick…Boom earned two nods for lead Andrew Garfield and editing and will play in around 25.
Searchlight Pictures’ period noir Nightmare Alley from Guillermo del Toro secured four nods including best picture and will play in around 400-500 cinemas this weekend and will expand further on February 18. It previously expanded to more than 1,109 in the last weekend of January and stands at more than $10.8m in the US and $29.8m worldwide. It will launch on digital platforms on March 8 and on Blu-ray and DVD on March 22.
UAR will expand Paul Thomas Anderson’s drama Licorice Pizza into 2,000 cinemas this weekend. At time of writing Apple had not confirmed plans for its two main contenders, best picture nominee Coda and The Tragedy Of Macbeth starring lead actor nominee Denzel Washington.
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