Hype machine

Hype machine

Local offices of all major Hollywood studios are getting ready for the big Oscar build-up. With less than a month until the Academy Awards are handed out, studios are keen to cash in on the hype, and as a result are releasing most films that have earned nominations in important categories, and are also re-releasing films that have landed worthy nods.

Columbia Pictures, whose Erin Brockovich has received five nominations including Best Picture and Best Director, has now re-released the Julia Roberts-starrer despite the fact that the film already enjoyed a hugely successful run when it was originally released in India last year. Paramount Films in Mumbai will also re-release Gladiator in the wake of the film receiving 12 nominations. This, despite the fact that the Russel Crowe costume drama made over Rs 10 crore when it was screened across the country in 2000. “The Oscar fever adds immense value to a film,” says a spokesperson for Columbia. A source at Warner Bros explains that “most studios worldwide tend to re-introduce a film that has already been released if it snags Oscar nominations because the interest level at this time is very high.”

But only Erin Brockovich and Gladiator from the Best Picture category have been released in India so far. Next up, Taiwanese director Ang Lee’s martial-arts masterpiece, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon is expected to show in theatres. A Columbia spokesperson says the studio intentionally held back the India release of the film as it was carrying a positive Oscar buzz. “To release the film soon after nominations have been announced gives the film a big push,” says the Columbia source. “It also adds a lot of value to the marketing campaign,” he adds. So Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon which will vie for Best Picture and Best Foreign Language Film awards (among others) will arrive on local shores on March 16.

The same strategy has worked in the past, say sources at various studios. “Years ago we released Unforgiven just a few days after it swept the Oscars, and not surprisingly, it did fairly well,” says a Warner Bros spokesperson. Columbia played the same game with Jerry Maguire and As Good As It Gets, and Paramount with Saving Private Ryan and Shakespeare In Love. All gambits paid off rich dividends.

Oddly enough, there is no information yet about the India release of Chocolat and Traffic (Best Picture nominees both), whose studios don’t have offices in India. “Such films are often released by independent Indian distributors,” says an industry source. But on more than one occasion such films have never been released in India. The English Patient, for example, which won Best Picture and other Oscars over three years ago, was released in India only last week. “International studios usually ask for a huge amount of money to sell their films to distributors in countries where they don’t have an office. Most local distributors don’t want to pay that kind of money. They just wait, and over the years the premium decreases,” says another source.

Other films which have been nominated for Oscars include Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous (Best Supporting Actress, Best Film Editing, Best Original Screenplay), Tom Hanks-starrer Cast Away (Best Actor, Best Sound), political drama The Contender (Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor), dance drama Billy Elliot (Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay), and period piece Quills (Best Actor, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design). Columbia Pictures intends to release Almost Famous shortly, and Paramount will screen Cast Away in early March.

“Today, in the global perspective every dollar counts. You can’t ignore any market,” says an industry source explaining that studio offices in India are likely to unveil any film that stands to make any money through its Oscar buzz. “India as a territory is a growing market,” says a Paramount spokesperson confirming that studio offices are keen to release important films in the country. “Given the production costs of international movies, studios will show their films on Mars if they can,” our industry source insists.