Oscars 2025 Strike Balance Between Acclaim and ‘Wicked’ Populism (original) (raw)

January 24, 2025 6:00am PT

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Even if this year’s Oscars in March are the first to stream on a service like Hulu, it’s clear the box office remains more top of mind for the Academy than actual streaming films.

Just look at the pattern that has persisted since 2023.

The combined domestic hauls of this year’s best picture nominations didn’t exceed $1 billion as they did in the past two ceremonies, but the Academy has held firm on granting a shot at the top prize for just one streaming film, this year to “Emilia Pérez.”

Unsurprisingly, it’s a Netflix film. Nor is it surprising that it’s also the most nominated film at this year’s show and won 4 awards of its 10 nominations at the Golden Globes, as streamers remain aggressive on the advertising front.

As for box office, there’s still much to glean.

Crowd-pleasers “Wicked” and “Dune: Part Two” together account for a whopping 85% of the combined domestic gross for the best picture contenders, echoing the leading partnership of “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 nabbed the top prize and six other wins. “Wicked” is likely to follow a similar pattern but will still play a crucial role by bringing the audience enthusiasm for itself into the ceremony through expected performances and actor appearances, with stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande both up for acting prizes.

That should help deliver another ratings lift.

Still, the year-over-year change in ratings from 2023 to 2024 wasn’t huge, hence Disney agreeing to stream the show live on Hulu alongside its ABC broadcast.

The best picture noms for the 2025 show did see combined gross dip below $1 billion for the first time since the 2022 ceremony, where the films reflected the pandemic-addled landscape and the lack of a nomination for “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” This time, the decrease in combined gross is reflective of Hollywood’s 2023 strikes reducing major studio output last year.

However, modest successes at the box office dot this ceremony’s best picture noms. Timothée Chalamet’s turn as Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown” is still netting the best gross for a Searchlight Pictures film since “The Menu,” which was snubbed by the Academy. Chalamet also led “Dune: Part Two,” making him an essential star for the show, though he’s only nominated for his Dylan turn.

There is also horror release “The Substance.” Horror films at the best picture level are extremely rare, but the Demi Moore vehicle from boutique streamer Mubi has been a mainstay for theaters interested in keeping a sideshow-style option for braver moviegoers who can put up with more grotesque imagery. “The Substance” being up for the top prize shows how much the Academy notices when unlikely films stand out in theaters.

Boutique distributor Neon’s film “Anora” has also had a good turn in theaters. The Palme d’Or winner from Sean Baker has grossed just under 15milliondomesticallyandmorethan15 million domestically and more than 15milliondomesticallyandmorethan30 million worldwide — a best for Baker, whose prior films at A24 made far less money in theaters, including awards-friendly “The Florida Project” in 2017.