"The Greatest Showman" Chapter 769 - Awards Prospects

As a small-budget, independent comedy, Lionsgate has kept its expectations low from the beginning, which has, paradoxically, contributed to the surprise success of Anti-Cancer Me. The film emerged as one of the most unexpected successes at the turn of the New Year.

However, much of this success cannot be attributed to Lionsgate itself. In fact, Lionsgate's lackluster promotional efforts sparked considerable controversy. Many industry insiders have begun to question whether, had Lionsgate been more serious about marketing the film, could Anti-Cancer Me have exceeded $200 million at the North American box office? While this may sound far-fetched, the possibility has been taken seriously by some.

Lionsgate did not put much effort into distribution and promotion, both in North America and overseas. Instead, they sold the distribution rights to local distributors through a packaged deal. As a result, Anti-Cancer Me didn't receive significant attention in international markets. While other popular films like Frozen 2 were highly sought after abroad, Anti-Cancer Me did not garner the same level of interest. The film's creators didn't travel for international promotions, and local distributors gave it minimal attention.

Despite this, Lionsgate did make a modest profit by selling the distribution rights. Before the film's North American release, Anti-Cancer Me was already profitable, and its North American box office performance was a pleasant surprise.

Ultimately, Anti-Cancer Me was only released in 25 countries and regions—far fewer than the 60 or 70 markets where major commercial blockbusters are typically released. These 25 countries included key markets like the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Australia, Argentina, and Mexico, but excluded major markets like Brazil, New Zealand, Spain, South Korea, and China.

The overseas box office results for Anti-Cancer Me were entirely predictable. As expected, the United Kingdom, thanks to Renly's strong fanbase, became the largest contributor to the overseas box office, with a total of $10 million. This was the only international market where the film surpassed $10 million. Other countries like Germany, Argentina, and France performed well, each surpassing $5 million, which is impressive for an art film.

However, compared to its massive success in North America, the overseas market underperformed. There was no "accidental" viral effect from the premiere or the buzz from Don Quixote, and Anti-Cancer Me returned to its original scale without the sweeping box-office dominance many had hoped for.

That said, with $32 million in overseas earnings, Anti-Cancer Me achieved a pleasant surprise. The film's production cost was only $8 million, so the results are not only impressive but also within a reasonable and acceptable range. The film's overseas performance reflects its quality: a solid, competent achievement, but not one with blockbuster potential.

In total, Anti-Cancer Me grossed $208 million worldwide, which is remarkable, especially when compared to Crazy Love, which earned $227 million. While Crazy Love had the benefit of a powerful performance in North America, the differing strategies of Focus Pictures and Lionsgate led to contrasting box office outcomes. This disparity highlights the difference in both companies' capital and strategies.

Nevertheless, the $8 million investment yielded a substantial return of at least $70 million in profits for Lionsgate. This figure does not even account for profits from DVD and Blu-ray sales, which further increase the film's revenue. By comparison, this success outperformed some commercial blockbusters, such as Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 2), in terms of return on investment.

For commercial blockbusters, the true revenue generators are rarely the box office takings but the profits from theme parks, merchandise, and copyrights. In this respect, Anti-Cancer Me has limitations—such as lacking franchise spin-offs. However, it does have something that big-budget blockbusters cannot: awards season prospects!

Super-commercial films based on comic books, theme parks, or franchises rarely garner attention during awards season. Films like The Dark Knight may receive nominations or wins in specific categories, but mainstream blockbusters rarely compete for Best Picture. Anti-Cancer Me, on the other hand, benefits from being an independent film with artistic merit and commercial potential, a combination that appeals to the awards community.

Films like Little Miss Sunshine, Juno, 127 Hours, Weakness, and Chicago represent the type of work Anti-Cancer Me aligns with. Despite its modest start, the film gained significant attention due to its strong box-office performance in December, as well as its critical acclaim.

Critics and industry experts have been focusing on the Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Actor categories. Will Risel's script has garnered high praise for its completion and balance, while Renly Hall's portrayal of his character in this comedy has been hailed as one of his finest performances. Critics have even compared it to his acclaimed work in Buried Alive.

Among the nominations, the Best Actor category seems to be Anti-Cancer Me's best shot. But the competition is fierce, with Love Crazy—which also earned over $100 million at the North American box office—sprinting toward the awards season with significant momentum. Critics are hopeful for Love Crazy in categories like Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress.

Interestingly, Love Crazy's script gives more space for its characters to develop, leading to stronger chances for its leading actors, particularly in the Best Actor category. Comparatively, Anti-Cancer Me benefits from Renly's nuanced performance, which is praised for its depth, emotional range, and complexity.

"Village Voice" critic James Bernard suggests that both films deserve recognition, calling Renly the most charismatic actor since Marlon Brando. He even speculates that Renly might become the first actor to earn two Oscar nominations for Best Actor in the same year, though he also warns that the competition might split votes and result in neither film receiving the nomination.

As the awards season began in December with notable ceremonies like the Boston Film Critics Association and the San Francisco Film Critics Association Awards, Anti-Cancer Me found itself at the forefront of the independent film conversation, drawing significant attention.

Renly's prospects this year are once again in the spotlight: can he secure another Oscar nomination, and could he break through to a win? Or will this year's awards season prove less fruitful than the last?

With the announcement of the 69th Golden Globe nominations, all eyes are on Renly and Anti-Cancer Me.