Will Oscar Nods Buoy ‘Titanic’ More?

Academy Award nominations can often mean a boost at the box office--and for “Titanic” that could mean even more of a good thing if, as expected, the film gets a slew of them today.

Last year, for example, “The English Patient’s” grosses jumped from $2.2 million to $4.6 million after it was nominated for best picture, while “Jerry Maguire’s” increased from $3.6 million to $5.2 million. While the higher grosses reflected the four-day Presidents Day holiday, the boost given each film by the academy nominations was significant.

Some believe that “Titanic” could also receive a boost with major Oscar nominations, even though it has taken in at least $20 million every weekend since its release. The reason? The theory goes that people who have yet to see the film might now be compelled to go because of the nominations.

Meanwhile, “Titanic,” with $337.4 million at the domestic box office, moved ahead of “Forrest Gump” ($329.7 million) to become the fourth-highest-grossing film of all time. Next in sight: “Jurassic Park” at $359.3 million.

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Weekend Box Office

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Three-day gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1. “Titanic” $23.0 2,956 8 (Paramount/Fox) $337.4 $7,790 2. “The Replacement Killers” $8.0 1,936 1 (Sony/Columbia) $8.0 $4,156 3. “Good Will Hunting” $6.8 2,157 10 (Miramax) $68.3 $3,165 4. “Blues Brothers 2000” $6.1 2,507 1 (Universal) $6.1 $2,445 5. “Great Expectations” $5.3 1,906 2 (Fox) $17.1 $2,782 6. “As Good as It Gets” $5.0 1,795 7 (Sony/TriStar) $92.3 $2,802 7. “Spice World” $4.0 2,272 3 (Sony/Columbia) $23.7 $1,765 8. “Wag the Dog” $3.4 1,586 7 (New Line) $33.8 $2,002 9. “Desperate Measures” $3.0 1,963 2 (Sony/TriStar) $10.3 $1,531 10. “Deep Rising” $2.5 1,788 2 (Disney/Hollywood) $8.4 $1,408

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SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.