- Apple is once again aiming for Oscar glory with “Napoleon,” from acclaimed director Ridley Scott, hitting theaters just before Thanksgiving.
- Even though Joaquin Phoenix and Scott are critically acclaimed, Apple faces stiff competition for nominations as a slew of Oscar contenders flood the market, even from within its own studio.
- The film grossed $3 million in Tuesday night screenings and is expected to gross around $22 million for the five-day Thanksgiving run, which runs Wednesday through Sunday.
Vanessa Kirby and Joaquin Phoenix star in AppleTV+’s Napoleon, directed by Ridley Scott.
Apple Original Movies
LOS ANGELES – Apple Original Films is a new player on the Oscar scene, but it has already left an indelible – and historic – mark.
The studio, which has only been releasing films since 2019, won Best Picture in 2022 for “CODA,” the first time a streaming service has ever won the top honor. In total, Apple received ten Oscar nominations in the last three years and won four of them.
Apple is making another push for Oscar glory with the premiere of acclaimed director Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon” just before the Thanksgiving holiday. The two-hour and 38-minute epic stars Joaquin Phoenix as French leader and military commander Napoleon Bonaparte, who rose to fame during the French Revolution. Sony is distributing the film.
Early reviews suggest the film is “slyly funny,” striking a balance between playful humor and gruesome fight sequences. However, the dichotomy could be polarizing for some, and some critics said the long running time could make the film feel like a “chore.”
Even though Phoenix and Scott are critically acclaimed, Apple faces stiff competition for nominations as numerous Oscar contenders flood the market, even from its own studio.
As November began, the Oscars race appeared to be dominated by Warner Bros. “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” from Universal. The combined “Barbenheimer” was released in theaters before the writers and actors strikes and attracted critical attention and record box office revenue.
With actors unable to promote films, many studios opted to postpone theatrical releases until later in the year or even push them back to 2024. Warner Bros. and Legendary Studio’s “Dune: Part Two” will no longer be joining the Oscar race this year after departing in March next year.
Now, in the final weeks of the year, Oscar contenders are arriving in droves.
That includes Apple’s other big Oscar contender: Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” a three-hour, 26-minute Western crime drama starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro.
Potential Best Picture nominations for the 2024 Academy Awards
- “Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures)
- “Barbie” (Warner Bros.)
- “American Fiction” (MGM)
- “Poor Things” (Searchlight Pictures)
- “Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures)
- “The Holdovers” (focus features)
- “Maestro” (Netflix)
- “The Interest Zone” (A24)
- “Origin” (neon)
- “May December” (Netflix)
- “Napoleon” (Apple Original Films/Sony Pictures)
- “Ferrari” (neon)
- “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” (Sony Pictures)
- “Air” (Amazon MGM Studios)
- “Saltburn” (Amazon MGM Studios)
- “Priscilla” (A24)
- “Sound of Freedom” (Angel Studios)
“The short list of potential Oscar favorites is filling up quickly,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “And with the actors’ strike resolved and stars now able to actively promote their films, these latest Thanksgiving entries will benefit not only from the freshness of their release, but also from the talent’s ability to engage in promotion.” for their films.” worthy and viable Oscar contenders.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Phoenix is no stranger to acting nominations at the big ceremony. He won Best Actor at the 2020 Academy Awards for his role in Joker and was previously nominated for roles in Scott’s best film Gladiator and later releases Walk the Line and The Master.
Scott received three best director nominations: “Thelma & Louise” in 1992, “Gladiator” in 2001 and “Black Hawk Down” in 2002. His 2015 film “The Martian” was nominated for best picture.
“Napoleon” could also be in the running for best production design, costume design, sound and editing.
Box office analysts are also confident that the film will attract coveted adult audiences who have been slow to return to theaters. The film grossed $3 million in Tuesday night screenings and is expected to gross around $22 million for the five-day Thanksgiving run, which runs Wednesday through Sunday.
“Napoleon is a fascinating character with a top-notch cast and director, a well-known historical figure and a story fit for the big screen,” said Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com. “It comes at a time when older segments of adult audiences remain part of a difficult equation that Hollywood must solve. Some clear successes have shown that these moviegoers will prioritize moviegoing, but it is more quality and content focused than ever before.”
Universal’s “Oppenheimer” is a prime example of a film for an adult audience that was based on real events and was able to capture the audience’s attention. The film grossed more than $300 million domestically during its theatrical run and grossed more than $950 million worldwide.
The film, directed by Christopher Nolan, was considered a must-see film on the big screen and attracted filmgoers of all ages to the cinemas.
“Napoleon” probably won’t reach the lofty heights of “Oppenheimer,” but it doesn’t have to. Over the past decade, streamers like Netflix, Apple and Amazon Prime Video have used the prestige associated with Hollywood awards nominations and box office critical acclaim to drive subscriber sign-ups or sign top talent.
Industry insiders believe Apple, which has long worked with the biggest names in show business, is using the prestige of Apple TV+ offerings to sell Apple products – not necessarily to attract hundreds of millions of subscribers.
Although streaming services generally provide limited metrics, Apple has been particularly quiet since launching its streaming video platform in November 2019. Unlike many others in this space, the company does not disclose data on financial performance, content spending, or subscriber counts for individual shows or the service as a whole.
“Apple’s ability to attract amazing creative talent is undeniable, and given the financial resources and creative freedom they afford to some of the best creatives in the world, it should come as no surprise that the company has become an awards season powerhouse in recent years “developed,” said Dergarabedian.
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC. NBCUniversal distributed “Oppenheimer.”