The Greatest Showman #1141 - Entertain Yourself

On November 2, Transcendence officially premiered in three theaters in New York and Los Angeles. Amid the frenzy of the awards season, it embarked on its journey in a notably low-key manner.

By "low-key," we mean that the film took none of the usual steps to generate buzz: it didn't participate in the Toronto or Telluride Film Festivals, there were no trailers or movie posters, no marketing campaigns, no radio or TV ads, nor even any theater promotions. There was no official statement in the year leading up to its release, no Twitter or Facebook presence, no website, and even print media had no news of it.

The only publicity came from its official IMDb page.

At the beginning of September, while the film world was focused on Venice and Toronto, the IMDb page for Transcendence was quietly updated, announcing its release on November 2 in New York and Los Angeles.

That was it.

This was truly low-key, almost as if the film entered theaters without a sound.

Despite this, Transcendence managed a solid opening, earning $33,000 in single-theater box office sales during its first week—a noteworthy achievement. Given the film's quiet start, this was a pleasant surprise, far exceeding expectations.

The reason for this success is not complicated.

At the Berlin Film Festival in February, Transcendence won the Silver Bear for Best Actor, stirring significant conversation. Although Berlin is often considered the least influential of the three major European festivals, the award created a buzz. This excitement was further amplified at the Oscars, where Renly won Best Actor, and his Golden Statue ignited a wave of discussion.

Additionally, Crazy in Love and Anti-Cancer Me had seen major breakthroughs at the box office. So, when Transcendence won the Silver Bear, it quickly became a point of curiosity. Could this film compete with Crazy in Love? What was Renly's performance in Transcendence like? Crazy in Love had made waves at Sundance, winning the Special Jury Award and later sweeping the Oscars. Would Transcendence follow the same path?

Amid this buzz, Transcendence had already received some free publicity, despite the lack of any active marketing from the filmmakers.

However, much of the public's attention remained on the gossip surrounding the film rather than the work itself. People were curious about the potential Oscar connections, but the lack of additional promotions from the crew meant these rumors eventually fizzled out, forgotten by most.

But a dedicated group of viewers remembered. They continued to be fascinated by the film and its director, Tony Kaye, and remained eager to see it.

Over the year, Transcendence attended five major film festivals: Berlin, Tribeca, Woodstock, Tokyo, and Stockholm. At each one, the reactions were mixed, and the controversies around the film grew. Even seasoned critics found themselves debating its artistic value.

Curiosity about Transcendence steadily grew. While Edge of Tomorrow had dominated the summer box office and Renly had found commercial success, for these particular viewers, Transcendence remained their top anticipation for the year.

On social media, some joked that they were ready for the film to premiere, their excitement growing steadily.

From one perspective, the mainstream audience had likely forgotten about Transcendence by now, overshadowed by the massive successes of Venice and Cannes, not to mention the various holiday blockbusters. However, for a small but passionate group, the excitement remained. Even as the awards season began, they were still eagerly waiting for Transcendence to make its mark.

As such, the film performed solidly in its screenings. By the second week of November, still showing in just three theaters, it saw its single-theater box office rise to $39,000—a sign that the film's influence was slowly growing. The New York Times and The Hollywood Reporter took notice of the unexpected success.

In the third week, the box office in the three theaters dipped slightly to $35,000, but the numbers remained strong. It was a curious case of sustained interest in a niche, artistically driven film.

By the fourth week, Transcendence expanded its reach, increasing its theater count to fourteen—nine in New York and five in Los Angeles. Remarkably, the film maintained a steady performance, with its per-theater box office holding at $32,000. While this wasn't groundbreaking, it still garnered attention and managed to perform better than many other award-season films.

Despite these promising numbers, Transcendence's performance was still largely ignored by the mainstream media. It remained largely a film for a dedicated, niche audience. Reviews were slow to spread, and though the film had strong word-of-mouth, it couldn't compete with the larger-scale attention garnered by other films during the award season.

By the time the movie entered the year-end holiday schedules, it found itself lost in the chaos of major blockbusters and Oscar contenders. Major releases like Skyfall, Twilight: Breaking Dawn (Part 2), and The Hobbit dominated the conversation, while Transcendence remained on the periphery.

As the month progressed, more and more professional critics joined in the conversation. By the fourth week, 20 reviews had been released, but the overall sentiment was not promising. With an average score of 55, Transcendence became Renly's first film to fail to pass media scrutiny, a blow to his otherwise impeccable record.

Despite the criticism, the film's continued presence in theaters showed that it was still drawing a dedicated crowd, and the controversy around it only fueled the discussions.

Was Transcendence Renly's first true failure? Perhaps, but it was also a sign of the evolving complexities of his career. Even a film that didn't meet critical expectations could spark meaningful conversations and create lasting cultural waves.