My Oscar Book:
Netflix has the only streaming film up for best picture for the third year in a row, despite not winning once
Other modest hits in theaters, largely indies, including “The Substance,” comprise the rest of the contenders for the top prize.
This year’s Oscars in March are the first to stream on a service like Hulu, but the box office remains more top of mind for the Academy than actual streaming films.
The combined domestic hauls of this year’s nominees didn’t exceed $1 billion as they did in the past two ceremonies.
Crowd-pleasers “Wicked” and “Dune: Part Two” together account for a whopping 85% of the combined domestic gross for the best picture contenders, echoing “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” last year.
Like “Barbie,” “Wicked” is the biggest box office earner up for best picture and is nominated for 10 awards overall.
That said, “Barbie” didn’t win anything in 2024 beyond best original song, as opposed to “Oppenheimer,” which won the top prize and six other wins.
