A couple of years ago, small studio A24 managed to hypnotize enough Academy voters to get the Oscar for “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” Most voters didn’t like it, but there was momentum. Also there were hot dog fingers.
This season A24 has a three prong attack for awards season. But that’s been reduced to two as Luca Guadgnino’s “Queer” — starring Daniel Craig — has disappeared from the theaters. The last time numbers were reported for “Queer” was before Christmas. The total so far is about @2.8 million, plus another $1 million internationally. “Queer” was no “Brokeback Mountain.”
The studio has had more luck with Nicole Kidman’s steamy “Babygirl.” The sex-fueled psychological character study is up to $21 million in three weeks, and shows no sign of flagging. Kidman is superb as a buttoned up CEO who takes a walk on the wild side. She’s won some awards already and may get an Oscar nomination (she should). “Babygirl” is pulling an audience to the theaters.
Then there’s “The Brutalist.” Brady Corbet’s epic three and a half hour original story won the Golden Globe last week for Best Motion Picture, Drama. Adrien Brody won Best Actor, and is headed into the Oscar race. Brody got a SAG nomination. The movie did not, which means hypnosis has not worked.
“The Brutalist” is brutal. It soars and then crashes. After four weeks of limited release, the total is $2.7 million. A couple of theaters in Manhattan have sold out. In other places, “The Brutalist” is being ignored. It’s not not going to win Best Picture because it does not have hot dog fingers. “Wicked,” “Conclave,” “Anora,” “A Complete Unknown” are all actual enjoyable, which is going to figure heavily in this tumultuous time.
As for “Queer,” there’s a rumor it’s coming to pay-for streaming this week. After that, it heads to HBO and Max. Whatever is cost — $20 million maybe with Craig taking a big paycut — it’s a write off. The only success of it was getting the former James Bond his first Oscar nomination (it’s coming) as well as accolades from the CCA, Globes and BAFTA. So, mission accomplished.
