'Artist' poised for publish-Oscar B.O. boost

'The Artist'Nat Faxon, Alexander Payne and Jim Rash nabbed the Oscar for modified script for Paynes Hawaiian-set The Descendants. Oscar's top-prize champion also looks to become the greatest box office beneficiary from the kudos race. "The Artist," which nabbed four other statuettes (actor for Jean Dujardin, director for Michel Hazanavicius, score for Ludovic Bource and costume for Mark Bridges) could finish track of a 60% or even more B.O. bump locally following the Academy awards because of an organized expansion into more compact marketplaces across the nation. The Weinstein Co. has had a steady but very slow method of moving the quiet, B&W film, beginning having a limited theatrical bow on November. 25. Domestic cume is definitely an believed $31.9 million. Stateside theatrical business is simply one prize within the publish-Academy awards money game, however. A lot of the 2010 those who win still unveil overseas. "The Artist," which bows April 7 in Japan, should mix $80 million worldwide through Sunday "The Descendants," which won the Oscar for modified script, has cumed a lot more than $156 million globally. Past the multiplex, wins may help boost downstream revenues from shops including foreign TV privileges and streaming deals. TWC lately signed a unique certification agreement with Netflix which includes "The Artist." The distrib intends to nearly double the amount pic's current theater count to at least one,500 locations or even more within the coming days -- supported largely by a hostile rollout in more compact core marketplaces outdoors of NY and L.A. In addition, kudocast exposure may help lure more youthful moviegoers. "Our exit polling during the last 14 days implies that audiences of any age are loving the film," stated Weinstein distribution mind Erik Lomis. Apart from "The Artist," "The Descendants" could also see an optimistic box office effect from the award. "The Descendants" has already been helmer Alexander Payne's greatest-grossing film, and 4th-greatest for Fox Searchlight, having a domestic cume of $78.5 million. Searchlight first launched the film within the U.S. on November. 11 and increased the pic on February. 3 to the greatest location count up to now at 2,038. Fox Searchlight has stated that whether "The Descendants" grows relied on Sunday's outcome. The film is presently at 889 locations. Box office boosts for "Hugo," which nabbed five tech Academy awards, and "The Assistance,Inch which just one statuette for Octavia Spencer within the supporting actress contest, are anticipated to become marginal. "Hugo" arrives Tuesday on homevid, while "The AssistanceInch released on DVD and Blu-ray a lot more than two several weeks ago with domestic sales near to $70 million. "The AssistanceInch is year's greatest-grossing best picture nominee with $169 million locally "Hugo," meanwhile, approaches $70 million and it is still playing just north of 500 Stateside locations. One of the pic nominees, 2011 didn't have the main one blockbuster that's become an Oscar standard recently. (Think about pic nominees "Toy Story 3," "Beginning" or "Avatar.") "The Artist" has carried out strongly around the shorelines, nevertheless its five Academy awards may help draw attention in flyover states too. Weinstein will prove to add multiple locations in more compact U.S. metropolitan areas in which the film is overindexing like Louisville, Ky., and Topeka, Kan. "That is what the Academy can perform for all of us,Inch Lomis stated. "Victory might help the film broaden in individuals more compact marketplaces." Just like previous pic those who win like "Slumdog Uniform," which cumed $141 million locally, many moviegoers were not capable of seeing the film in theaters until nearer to the Academy awards telecast. "Slumdog," which won eight honours including picture, broadened to north of two,000 domestic locations the very first time throughout the weekend from the ceremony in '09. "Slumdog" ended up tallying $43 million (or 30% of their total domestic cume) publish-Academy awards. Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com