This year’s nine best picture nominees were, relatively speaking, critical as well as commercial successes.
“La La Land” (Lionsgate)
Budget: $30 million
Global box office: $294.1 million
Oscar Impact:
The musical romance picked up a leading 14 nominations (tying with All About Eve and Titanic).
It is widely expected to dominate the awards.
It has also scored overseas, earning nearly 57% of its gross from foreign markets.
“Lion” (The Weinstein Co.)
Budget: $12 million
Global box office: $70.3 million
Oscar effect:
The heart-tugging story of a man using Google Earth to find his family broke out of the art-house thanks to awards love. Nearly half of its $31 million in domestic revenue kicked in after it got six nominations.
“Hidden Figures” (Fox)
Budget: $25 million
Global box office: $144.7 million
Oscar effect: An awards-season breakout. The civil rights drama was still widely in circulation when it was showered with three nominations. It’s the top-grossing nominee domestically
but hasn’t been released yet in many foreign territories.
“Manchester by the Sea” (Amazon/Roadside Attractions)
Budget: $8.5 million
Global box office: $46.1 million
Oscar effect: Not much of a bump. The boatload of good reviews helped lift the dark drama, but it had been in theaters since October, so mostly it just got bragging rights from being in the best-picture conversation.
“Arrival” (Paramount)
Budget: $47 million
Global box office: $194.8 million
Oscar effect:
The brainy sci-fi thriller had largely wrapped up its theatrical run when nominations were announced. More than 96% of its Stateside haul came before it elbowed in to the best-picture race.
“Hacksaw Ridge” (Lionsgate)
Budget: $40 million
Global box office: $164.3 million
Oscar effect:
The World War II drama marks a return to the mainstream for director Mel Gibson.
“Moonlight” (A24)
Budget: $5 million
Global box office: $20.4 million
Oscar effect:
The little indie that could. The sensitive story of a gay man coming of age in an impoverished corner of Miami has been chugging along since October. More than 77% of its gross came before it earned eight nods.
“Fences” (Paramount)
Budget: $24 million
Global box office: $54 million
Oscar effect: Star power triumphs. The combination of Denzel Washington and Viola Davis proved potent, transforming a talky drama into an unlikely box office hit. The film has screened almost exclusively in the U.S.
“Hell or High Water” (CBS Films/Lionsgate)
Budget: $12 million
Global box office: $27 million
Oscar Impact:
The crime thriller was on home-entertainment platforms when it earned four nods, but it had already established itself as a summer hit for adults. All its theatrical revenue comes from domestic returns.