As the Oscar ceremony draws ever-nearer (and with nominations now officially in the bag), we’ve seen an impressive slate of indie Oscar hopefuls expanding their theatrical footprints in the hopes one last big push can give their profiles a boost. Entertainment attorney Brandon Blake, from Blake & Wang P.A., gives us the rundown on the planned expansions.
Oscar Footprint Expands
While Oppenheimer likely won’t shake its unique spot in the collective consciousness much with another Imax run, it’s far from the only Oscar-hopeful trying to keep its name in lights over the next few weeks. What could be of interest to cinephiles, however, is that it will also be playing in an iconic 70mm release at selected theaters.
Poor Things, which is in contention for the Best Film category as well as multiple others, will expand its theatrical footprint to 2,226 screens. It had previously been playing on 1,400. Behind Oppenheimer, it is the most nominated movie this season. American Fiction, another Best Picture hopeful, will also be expanding from its current 850 theaters to almost double- 1,500.
From Awards to Audiences
Nor is it the only Oscar-nominated indie hoping for a last-minute theatrical boost. The Holdovers will be increasing its footprint massively- up to 1,235 screens from 127. It’s been enjoying a slow, but steady, rollout since its release at the end of October last year. While Anatomy of a Fall may not need the boost in prominence after a highly successful awards season, it’s not taking any chances either. It will now be found on 400 screens, a marked increase from its current 15! The Zone of Interest will also expand from 82 to 311 screens. It also has a self-release from A24 set for the UK this week. Rounding out the list, we have Past Lives, which was first released in June 2023, returning to 320 theaters this weekend to boost its Oscar campaign (and viewers’ memories).
The run-up to the Oscars is always an exciting time for films that otherwise don’t rely heavily on a mainstream theatrical release. Will this last-minute campaigning impact the results? We’ll have to wait for the ceremony to see!
Film and Television 