Oscar Race Goes To The Box Office

The big new release this weekend is WHEN A STRANGER CALLS, but the real story is how the recent Oscar nominations will translate into box office dollars. Checking the Studios pulse, there still seems to be a lack of confidence towards some of the Best Picture nominees.
BROKEBACK rides into 435 more screens (2089 total) for what will probably be its biggest weekend ever, and a real test of the films ability to play in more conservative parts of the country.
CAPOTE is getting its widest release with 1200 screens. I think the humble expansion is befitting of the project, which could play well these next few weeks if it manages to stay right below the radar.
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK is relaunching onto 929 screens (besting its previous peak of 803). The number still shows a strange hesitancy towards putting the film into the mass market. I’m not saying GOOD NIGHT should go into 3000+ screens, but I think between the nominations and George Clooney’s name (and extensive publicity) the film could play in over 1400 screens and become a more dominant Oscar presence.
Poor MUNICH. 5 nominations and the picture (which cost almost double the other 4 nominees) is only getting enough love to the tune of 160 extra screens for a total count of 1140.
To show how much of an insult this is, WALK THE LINE is adding 376 screens expanding to 1577 after scoring the same number of nominations, but no Best Picture, Director or Screenplay (all of which MUNICH grabbed.)

Universal needs to wake up, shake off their CINDERELLA MAN hopes and get behind MUNICH. They could really go at BROKEBACK’s momentum, but they have to at least make an effort.