A bumper crop of commercial hits populate

 

A bumper crop of commercial hits populate the best drama and best comedy categories.

When last year's Golden Globes ceremony took place, the five films competing for best picture in the drama category had earned a collective $196 million at the domestic box office. One film alone, Universal's Get Out, made up the vast majority of that — $176 million.

This year it's a dramatically different story. The five best drama nominees at today's Globes ceremony have amassed $1.15 billion domestically to date. For the first time in recent memory, instead of taking a backseat to indie fare, mainstream Hollywood studio movies are a major force in the current awards race.

Black Panther, of course, is the biggest earner, with $700 million in domestic ticket sales and $1.35 billion globally. Yet, the Disney and Marvel superhero pic isn't the only best picture nominee boasting big box office grosses. Among the four other nominees for best picture in the drama category, Fox's Bohemian Rhapsody has grossed $193.7 million domestically and nearly $750 million worldwide, while Warner Bros.' A Star Is Born rests at $202.1 million domestically and $390.1 million worldwide.

The remaining two films, Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman and Barry Jenkins' If Beale Street Could Talk, are from specialty distributors Focus Features and Annapurna Pictures, respectively.

BlacKkKlansman earned an impressive $89.1 million globally following its release in August, including $48.3 million domestically.

If Beale Street Could Talk is the only one of the five contenders that would benefit in a major way from a Globes win, since it has held back from expanding its theater count until now. Over the weekend, Beale Street — Jenkins' follow-up to his Oscar-winning Moonlight — made its biggest push yet as it upped its location count to 335 cinemas.

Through Sunday, Beale Street's cume is a promising $4.4 million. Annapurna reports that the film is doing its strongest business in both traditional art house theaters and African-American markets.

Last year, the Fox Searchlight drama Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri won the Globes best picture prize. When the ceremony took place Jan. 7, it had only earned $705,000 from a smattering of theaters on its way to grossing $159.2 million worldwide, thanks to awards attention.

In the Globes comedy/musical category, the five titles up for best picture Sunday have earned a combined $397.2 million at the domestic box office, compared with $213.2 million by the five nominees last year at the same time. As with the drama category, studio films take up three of the slots.

Disney's year-end holiday musical Mary Poppins Returns has grossed the most globally, or $257.9 million. That includes $138.7 million domestically. Warners' August rom-com Crazy Rich Asiansfollows with $238 million domestically, including $174 million in North America.

Universal's Green Book has grossed $35.3 million domestically to date, followed by Annapurna's Vice with $29.8 million (both films have yet to roll out in earnest overseas).

Fox Searchlight's The Favourite, which hasn't played in more than 771 theaters, currently sits at $19.4 million domestically. The royal drama, along with Green Book and Vice, would gain at the box office from a Globes victory.

Last year's winner was the dramedy Lady Bird, an indie film that grossed $49 million domestically and $70 million worldwide.