It’s been six long years since The Weinstein Company landed a Best Picture Oscar-winner, in the form of 2011’sThe Artist, but the studio is making a heavy push this season by announcing a trio of awards-friendly release dates.
The Weinstein Company landed a Best Picture Oscar nod at the most recent ceremony in the form ofGarth Davis’ dramaLion, and perTHRthe studio will unveil Davis’ follow-up filmMary Magdalenein limited release on November 24th before expanding in December.Rooney Marastars as the Biblical figure whileJoaquin Phoenixplays Jesus andChiwetel Ejioforplays Peter, and Davis reunites with Oscar-nominatedLioncinematographerGreig Fraser. That positions the film for a nice post-festival release date, assuming Davis’ film takes the fall film festival track that so many awards contenders do (Lionwas unveiled at the Toronto International Film Festival in September and rode that buzz all the way to its multiple Oscar nods).
The studio has also staked out December 22nd for a limited opening ofThe Current War, a drama about the battle over the electricity market in the late 1880s between Thomas Edison (Benedict Cumberbatch) and George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon).Me and Earl and the Dying GirlfilmmakerAlfonso Gomez-Rejondirects, and the impressive supporting cast also includesNicholas Houltas Nikola Tesla,Katherine Waterston, andTom Holland.
And finally, Oscar-nominatedHell or High WaterandSicarioscribeTaylor Sheridan’s directorial debutWind Riverwill hit theaters on August 4th in limited release, expanding wide on August 11th. This mimics the successful release pattern of CBS Films’Hell or High Water, which opened on August 12th and became one of the year’s highest-grossing indies while also landing multiple Oscar nods, including Best Picture.Wind Riverpremiered at Sundance to mostly solid reviews and starsJeremy Renneras a tracker in Alaska who helps hunt for a killer with the help of an FBI agent played byElizabeth Olsen. Read Matt’s reviewright here.
Now, while these dates certainly seem primed for awards attention, TWC has been known to call an audible late in the game. Just last year bothThe FounderandGoldseemed like solid Oscar plays for TWC, only for the studio to shift both films’ release strategies multiple times before basically dumping them in January after a brief Oscar-qualifying run. If one of the aforementioned films doesn’t stack up in terms of quality, it’s possible TWC could follow a similar scenario.
ButHarvey Weinsteinno doubt is hungry to be a major Oscar player once again. After back-to-back wins forThe Kings SpeechandThe Artist, which themselves were hot on the trail of the surprise Best Picture nomination forThe Reader, TWC has been left out of the winner’s circle and relegated to “Oh that movie was pretty nice” status. 2013 saw hopefulsThe ButlerandAugust: Osage Countyfail to land major nods whilePhilomenasurprised everyone (including the studio) with its Best Picture nomination. 2014 brought big busts likeSt. VincentandBig Eyeswhile Best Picture nomineeThe Imitation Gamewon only one award. And in 2015 they were shut out of the Best Picture race entirely despite having two of their most robust films in years withCarolandThe Hateful Eight.
CanMary Magdalene,The Current War, orWind Riverput them back in winning shape? Having seenWind RiverI’d say even a Best Picture nomination might be a longshot there, butMary Magdaleneis a very curious project that I have a feeling might surprise a lot of folks. We’ll find out for sure, but withSteven Spielbergback in the gameand folks likeChristopher NolanandPaul Thomas Andersonreleasing new films this year,competition will be fierce.
