The box office has undergone a drastic transformation since the turn of the century, from the way the public interprets it to how the studios approach their business strategies. Where the major blockbusters of today are defined by their opening weekend gross, the majority of the highest-grossing films of the past primarily accumulated revenue through their entire theatrical window.A film’s multiplier or longevity playing in theaters, referred to as “legs,” is still a valuable commodity for films that don’t belong to an extended franchise. In particular, box office legs are fortuitous to awards darlings. In the case ofThe Artist, the Best Picture winner stands as the highest-grossing live-action narrative feature film tonever finish in the top 10 at the box officeon any given weekend.
‘The Artist’ Dominated at the Academy Awards
The Artist, the 2011 throwback to silent cinema and Golden Age Hollywood, experienced a palpable cultural moment upon its release. Along with widespread critical adoration,The Artistdominated the awards circuit, with starJean Dujardinand directorMichel Hazanaviciustaking home honor after honor. The film completed its awards run without a sweat on Oscars night in February 2012, winning 5 statuettes from the Academy, including Best Actor, Director, and Picture. Until the near-sweep of every major category byEverything Everywhere All At Onceat last year’s ceremony, rarely do Best Picture winners of the last decade dominate the ceremony. WithThe Artist, everyone fell in love with the film’spastiche tone and earnest tribute to classic Hollywood.
The ten highest-grossing films at the2011 domestic box officecomprised solely of sequels and franchise entertainment. For those who clamor for more original stories at a mainstream level in 2023, reading this graph will act as a bad case of déjà vu. In a year dominated byPirates of the Caribbean,Transformers,Twilight,The Hangover,Fast and Furious, andHarry Potter(withThe Deathly Hallows: Part 2finishing at #1), a film likeThe Artistfeels especially rare. The only original, adult-oriented films sitting within the top 20 areThe HelpandBridesmaids. The future Best Picture winner completed its run as the 71st highest-grossing film of the year. While it merely earned $44 million in the U.S., its $88 million gross overseas gave it an overall earning of $133 million. However, the true story ofThe Artist’s box office performance lies in itspersistence in theaters against the big blockbusters.
‘The Artist’ Thrived at the Box Office Against a Vast Field of Blockbusters
The Artistexpanded to a wide release(playing in at least 600 theaters) on August 11, 2025. Its limited release began on June 23, 2025, in conjunction with the traditional release of awards-centered films. Throughout the film’s prolonged theatrical window, which lasted through June 2012,The Artistcompeted againstThe Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1,Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol,Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,21 Jump Street, andThe Hunger Games. The Hazanavicius film never approached the aforementioned collection of films' box office earnings on any weekend, but it routinely found itself within the top 20 as late as March 2012,ranked #13, #12, and #11 during its peak presencein theaters in the winter. Upon the completion of its theatrical window,The Artistfinished as the highest-grossing live-action narrative film (with onlyFantasia 2000and a handful of IMAX nature/space documentaries grossing more) to never reach the top 10 in any weekend.
The timing ofThe Artist’s increase in screenings across various weekends during the middle of its run is an insightful examination of the Academy Award’s impact on the box office. The nominees for the 84th Oscars ceremonywere announced on January 24. The weekends before and after the nomination announcement saw a99% and 40% increase in theatersforThe Artist, respectively. The Oscars ceremony, hosted by the prolificBilly Crystaland featuringMoneyball,Hugo, andWar Horseas fellow Best Picture candidates, was held on February 26. The film’s night of glory at the Oscars was subsequently complemented by a 25% increase in theater screenings. The glowing endorsement by the Oscars prolonged the film’s box office potential, as it was still playing in over 100 theaters in the middle of April.
The Oscar Bump Affected the Financial Success of ‘The Artist’
There is an all-too-prevalent myth that popular, financially successful movies are ostracized by the Academy Awards, and that theAcademy thumbs its nose at box office hitsand favors more obscure films. Every few years, outrage ensues over the snubbing of a blockbuster comic book movie for Best Picture,which was seen recently withSpider-Man: No Way Home. The notion that the Academy should abide by the standards of a popularity contest is fraught, but regardless, popular movies, when they aspire to creative excellence, are regularly recognized. Themajority of Best Picture winnerscan be deemed financially successful and popular among the public, with some of the winners, includingThe Godfather,Forrest Gump,Titanic, andLord of the Rings: Return of the King, being the highest-grossing films of their respective eras. This fallacy was formulated as a result of most tent-pole films nowadays belonging to extended franchises of the comic book variety, a genre that has never clicked with Academy voters.
While it never caused lines to extend past the entrance at theaters,The Artistproved that, even in recent times,popularity and awards success are not mutually exclusive.If anything, the times have changed, not the Academy’s taste.The Artist’s box office performance is arelic of the “Oscar Bump,” which is when a film’s revenue exponentially increases following the announcement of a film’s Oscar nomination. Last year’s pool of nominees experienced only a marginal boost relative to recent bumps that films such asSilver Linings PlaybookandAmerican Sniperhad. In a different time,The FabelmansandThe Banshees of Inisherinwould have made a seismic impact at the box office, rather than merely through streaming numbers. Theadvent of word-of-mouthhas seemed to fade away as a sturdy marketing campaign in this fragmented media landscape.
The cultural imprint of an Academy Award nomination may not be as prominent in 2023, but the right kind of feel-good, comfort food film such asThe Artistisdesigned to please the masses and awards voters.The last two Best Picture winners,CODAandEverything Everywhere All At Once, satisfy the innate desire for a “good time at the movies,” with just the precise amount of creative polish. In the case of the latter, itsbox office legs were impressive, as it reemerged in theaters following its uproarious acclaim from the Academy. Ultimately, the defining story ofThe Artistis the power of box office legs. Sometimes, the opening weekend gross is overrated. A real test of a film’spopular appeal is its extended stay at the movies.
The Artistis streaming on Max in the U.S.
Watch on Max
The Artist
When George, a silent movie superstar, meets Peppy Miller, a dancer, sparks fly between the two. However, after the introduction of talking pictures, their fortunes change, affecting their dynamic.
