Blockbusters and box office hits took a backseat to smaller, independent movies on the list of Best Picture Oscar nominees announced Thursday by the Academy.
Disney’s record-shattering “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” which last week became the highest-grossing film ever at the U.S. box office, was snubbed. And so was “Inside Out” from Pixar Animation. Universal’s breakout hit “Straight Outta Compton” didn’t make it either.
Instead “Room,” Brooklyn” and “Spotlight” made the list. To put this in perspective, those three films combined have grossed a total of $57 million. The three hit films that failed to get in have grossed $1.3 billion domestically.
Also Read: Oscar Hopefuls Poised to Outperform Last Year's at Box Office
That’s par for the course recently among Academy voters, who tend to favor art over commerce most years. Last year, not a single movie nominated for Best Picture had grossed $100 million before the announcement. However, “American Sniper” went from the $3 million it made in a limited run to a record-breaking $350 million after the nominations.
The Academy didn’t turn its back on the most popular films, which had to be a relief for ABC TV executives, since ratings tend to rise when the best known movies are in the running. Fox’s “The Martian” will be the highest-grossing film nominated, with $227 million domestically, and Warner Bros.’ “Mad Max: Fury Road” has brought in $153 million.
“The Revenant” gained a ton of momentum off its strong showing at the Golden Globes earlier this week and a breakout expansion last weekend, and Fox distribution chief Chris Aronson said Thursday that the studio was upping its theater count to 3,575.
Of course, Open Road’s “Spotlight” and Fox Searchlight’s “Brooklyn” have been hits too, just on a smaller scale. While their grosses are a fraction of those taken in by the hit films, so are their budgets.
Also Read: 'Spotlight' Keeps Heat on Oscar Rivals With Solid Expansion
The two film companies plan to make the most of their opportunity. Both are set to expand their theater counts significantly this weekend, with “Brooklyn” going from 294 to 681, and “Spotlight,” which was in 368 theaters last weekend, widening to 973 this weekend.
Of course, box office numbers are notoriously poor indicators of Oscar success.
In 2009, the year Jim Cameron’s “Avatar” was dominating the box office with nearly $600 million, five movies over $100 million were nominated, including “Up” with $293 million and “The Blind Side” with $238 million. But in one of the biggest Oscar upsets ever, “The Hurt Locker” took home the big prize. Giving the win an extra edge, the lowest-grossing Best Picture winner ever was directed by Kathryn Bigelow, Cameron’s ex-wife.
Oscars 2016 Contenders Party Report: Premieres, Parties, and People (Updating Photos)
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Grey Photography
At Robert Evans' Woodland Estate in Beverly Hills, documentarians huddled to celebrate Brett Morgen and "Montage of Heck" on Thursday, November 5. The intimate crowd of 25 was dense with doc A-listers: Lauren Greenfield ("Queen of Versailles"), Morgen, Amy Berg (upcoming Janis Joplin doc "Janis") and Liz Garbus ("Nina Simone").
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Grey Photography
Amidst framed pictures with Evans pals like Michael Jackson, Jack Nicholson, Brett Ratner, and fellow Paramount studio chiefs like Sumner Redstone and Brad Grey, Morgen surveyed the crowd. "It's nice to see so many other documentarians here...campaigning for their own films," he deadpanned. Kirby Dick and Abigail Disney were also on scene.
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Sam Mendes and Harrison Ford stare each other down at the Britannia Awards on October 30. Mendes was honored with the John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Excellence in Directing presented by The GREAT Britain Campaign and Ford was honored with the Albert R. Broccoli trophy “for worldwide contribution to entertainment.”
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Meryl Street was going right to the top at the Britannia Awards: British Consul General Chris O’Connor. When accepting her award, Streep thanked the British government for giving her several work permits.
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Paul Marotta/Getty Images for Warner Brothers
Mark Ruffalo points out the real Michael Rezendes at the Boston premiere of "Spotlight" on Wednesday, October 28. Ruffalo plays the Boston Globe investigative reporter in the buzzy pic out November 6.
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Paul Marotta/Getty Images for Warner Brothers
Director Tom McCarthy and Open Road CEO and President Tom Ortenberg made the trip to Boston, after the film's NYC premiere earlier in the week.
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Paul Marotta/Getty Images for Warner Brothers
Boston royalty John Henry (Owner, Boston Globe, Boston Red Sox, and more) with wife Linda Pizzuti.
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Earlier, Ruffalo hosted GQ Publisher Howard Mittman's Gentleman's Fund event in NYC.
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Abigail Disney's "Armor of Light," an engaging documentary of Capitol Hill Tea Partiers' far-right evangelical Reverend Rob Schenck's inability to reconcile being "pro-life" and "pro-gun," to the chagrin of his passionate base, had its L.A. premiere at the DGA on Wednesday, October 13. (His constituency thinks the "NRA is a liberal organization," Schenck (far right) said.) Diane Warren (bottom right, with Disney) got an early look before the film opens on October 30.
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The "Truth" comes out....for its Academy screening. Star Cate Blanchett headlined the L.A. reveal of the film on Monday night, October 5. The James Vanderbilt-directed drama with Robert Redford and Elisabeth Moss is a contender tackling Dan Rather's censured report on President George W. Bush's military service. Sony Pictures Classics releases it in NYC and LA on October 16.
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The producers' billing block on the film includes Brett Ratner, Andrew Spaulding, and Doug Mankoff ("Nebraska"). The reception in the lobby featured regular SPC partners Ketel One and STK Out.
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John Salangsang (3); Instagram/MTouceda (bottom right)
The guestlist for Davis Guggenheim's "He Named Me Malala" L.A. premiere? 7,000 high school aged L.A. girls, who filled the Microsoft Theatre on Tuesday morning September 29 at the event hosted by Megan Chernin's L.A. Fund. Peter Chernin, host Megan Chernin, J.J. Abrams, Katie McGrath, and Gracie Abrams helped kick off the "Girls Build L.A. Challenge" at the event, leading in to October's "Girls Empowerment" month.
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Later on the same day, Fox Searchlight brought "He Named Me Malala" to a LACMA screening with Film Independent, where the Oscar winning Guggenheim sat down with Elvis Mitchell.
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David Nevins and Brian Grazer (left, center) hosted a private advance screening of Amy Berg's doc "Prophets Prey" at the UTA Theater on the night after the Emmys. Previous Oscar nominee Berg's film, an investigation into Warren Jeffs and the cult of the FLDS, goes in to theaters on Sep. 25 for an Oscar qualifying run.
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Eric Charbonneau/Invision for Showtime/AP Images
"Showtime" family Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell came to the screening. Amy Berg introduces the Showtime Documentary Films production which will come to the cabler on October 10. Bottom right, Exec Producer Brian Grazer
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Oscar contenders were pouring out at the 2015 Toronto Film Festival.
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No party for "Black Mass" at TIFF, but Johnny Depp looked intimidating and Amber Heard looked ready for festivities arriving at Monday's premiere in Toronto. With the film opening this Friday, in a non-festival week, it would have likely premiered south of the border on the same night.
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"Spotlight" star Michael Keaton with Anonymous Content's Steve Golin at the two-floor sprawling Soho House party for the ripped from the headlines film getting awards buzz. Vulture called it "The Best Picture Front-Runner".
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Ray Donovan has a word for his "Spotlight" director Tom McCarthy at the Grey Goose hosted after party.
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Anonymous Content main man Michael Sugar and wife Lauren Sugar at the "Spotlight" party. Sugar is a producer on "Spotlight".
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"Juno" pals Jason Reitman and J.K. Simmons reconnected at Simmons' post-premiere party for "The Meddler" at Soho House on Monday, September 14.
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Making mom proud: "The Meddler" director Lorene Scafaria gets the ultimate hug-of-approval.
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Ratner and Rather: The director and the news legend connected at the "Truth" party at Patria.
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Catherine Hardwicke took off her "Miss You Already" baseball hat she had been wearing for Women In Film and Tiffany's panel on Monday, Sep 14. "The Duff" Producer Susan Cartsonis and "Grey Gardens" writer and now "Into the Forest" director Patricia Rozema participated.
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Olivia Wilde won the inaugural IMDB "Starmeter" award at TIFF 2013. On Monday night, "Room" director Lenny Abrahamson presented it to his lead, Brie Larson.
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Eric Charbonneau/InVision for AP
Lots of buzz around "Our Brand is Crisis". Participant CEO Jeff Skoll and producer George Clooney at Participant's party.
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Eric Charbonneau/InVision for AP
"Selma" director Ava DuVernay and Participant EVP Jonathan King at Participant's bash.
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One Shot George
Nicholas Hoult rocked a "deliriously funny" turn in "Kill Your Friends," as an A&R man in navigating the Brit-Pop explosion of 1997.
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"Twenty Feet from Stardom" Oscar winner Morgan Neville (right) is back with another music doc: "Keith Richards: Under the Influence". They celebrated at TIFF at Nikki Beach's popup at the Spoke Club.
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Todd Williamson/Getty Images for HFPA
The party you wanted to be at on Saturday night: HFPA and InStyle at the Windsor Arms. Zoe Kazan, Paul Dano, and Susan Sarandon at the cross-industry party.
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George Pimentel/Getty Images for HFPA
Carmen Ejogo with "The Danish Girl" lead and reigning Best Actor.
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George Pimentel/Getty Images for HFPA
Learn this name: Jacob Tremblay. He stars with Brie Larson in "The Room". One awards commentator called him a "lead pipe cinche" for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nom.
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George Pimentel/Getty Images for HFPA
The view inside the Windsor Arms.
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Todd Williamson/Getty Images for HFPA
Dakota Johnson, John Lesher, Warner Bros. Pictures President Sue Kroll and Elizabeth Olsen at HFPA.
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Todd Williamson/Getty Images for HFPA
Sarah Silverman and Sir Patrick Stewart make a great comedy duo.
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Todd Williamson/Getty Images for HFPA
Two rhyming directors in the awards mix: Tom Hooper ("The Danish Girl") and Scott Cooper ("Black Mass").
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Todd Williamson/Getty Images for HFPA
The Oscar winning Hooper with his Oscar nominated "The Kings Speech" actor Geoffrey Rush.
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George Pimentel/WireImage
Matt Damon met Torontonians before "The Martian" premiere on Friday night, September 11. Multiple awards commentators said the same thing -- his campaign is "blasting off."
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Martians: Kate Mara, Jessica Chastain and Sebastian Stan at the Fandango/Samsung studio on Sept. 11 before the film's premiere.
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"The Martian" co-star Chiwetel Ejiofor (an Oscar nominee two seasons ago) gives Wireimage founder Jeff Vespa an "Is that so?" at the Guess Portrait Studio on Sept. 11.
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Stephanie Keenan/Getty Images for Grey Goose
WME co-CEO Patrick Whitesell with Jake Gyllenhaal inside Soho House after the "Demolition" premiere on TIFF's opening night. Highly praised, "Demolition" will be looking at Oscars 2017, as it does not arrive in theaters until April 2016.
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Todd Williamson/Getty Images for Sony Pictures Classics
Elizabeth Olsen goes "Jaws" on co-star Tom Hiddleston's cake at the Addison on Sept. 11 while celebrating "I Saw the Light," the Hank Williams biopic.
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Todd Williamson/Getty Images for Sony Pictures Classics
Meanwhile, Sony Pictures Classics Co-President Tom Bernard was equally loose at the "I Saw the Light" party.
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Cannes hit "Sicario" touched down on Sept. 11 on the west side of the Atlantic. Oscar winner Benicio del Toro leads the cast, which includes Emily Blunt and Josh Brolin. The after party at Soho House was part of Grey Goose's series of high-profile bashes.
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More in Emmys territory than Oscars, the Property Brothers Jonathan and Drew Scott (as well as off-screen bro J.D., left), hosted TIFF honcho Cameron Bailey at the Producers Ball on Friday night of opening weekend.
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Jonathan and Drew Scott taste-test the Level Over and Samsung VR as Oscar contenders filtered through the Samsung space for interviews by Fandango's Dave Karger.
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Christopher Simon acts like he just married Catherine Hardwicke, whose "Miss You Already" hit the fest.
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Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Guess
The scene inside the Guess Portrait Studio on opening weekend.
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Buckner/Variety/REX Shutterstock
Naomi Watts and Elle Fanning prepare to take a selfie the morning after Fox Searchlight's "Demolition" opening night festivities.
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Stephanie Keenan/Getty Images for Grey Goose
Fox Searchlight's David Greenbaum with Heather Lind, who plays Julia in "Demolition."
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Stephanie Keenan/Getty Images for Grey Goose
Chris Cooper also partied at Soho on Thursday night.
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Stephanie Keenan/Getty Images for Grey Goose
Jason Reitman grips director Jean-Marc Vallee, who previously wowed TIFF with "Dallas Buyers Club" two seasons ago. Reitman is an executive producer on "Demolition."
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Stephanie Keenan/Getty Images for Grey Goose
Gyllenhaal has a first-look deal with Bold Films (President Gary Michael Walters is center). Denis Villeneuve also made the Soho House after party hosted by Grey Goose.
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Stephanie Keenan/Getty Images for Grey Goose
Vallee with screenwriter Bryan Sipe. Sipe's script appeared on the Blacklist, the collection of hot unproduced film lit.
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Grey Goose's global face Joe McCanta (the chemist behind the awards season cocktails) chats with Monica Bacardi at Soho House.
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Stephen Lovekin/Variety/REX Shutterstock
Oscar winner Jean Dujardin popped in to Fandango and Samsung Galaxy's Studio on Friday.
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Marilynne Mungovan
At the Venice Film Festival, Sunrise and Mark Ruffalo celebrated "Spotlight." Moet & Chandon and Chopard threw a bash at PalazzinaG.
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Marilynne Mungovan
Dujardin's former co-star in "The Artist," Berenice Bejo, toasted "The Childhood of a Leader" at the Venice Film Festival, with Elizabeth Banks, Odessa Young, and more at the PalazzinaG.
Top pics from inside the bashes as fall festivals and premieres bring out awards contenders, pretenders and hopefuls for the Oscars on February 28, 2016
At Robert Evans' Woodland Estate in Beverly Hills, documentarians huddled to celebrate Brett Morgen and "Montage of Heck" on Thursday, November 5. The intimate crowd of 25 was dense with doc A-listers: Lauren Greenfield ("Queen of Versailles"), Morgen, Amy Berg (upcoming Janis Joplin doc "Janis") and Liz Garbus ("Nina Simone").

