As reported by Gold Derby sister site Deadline, “Moonlight” is making a killing at the international box office. It has currently $3.6 million overseas to date and could reach a total of $40 million worldwide against a mere $1.5 million budget. That includes $1.38 million in ticket sales in France, more than “Birdman” and “Room” had made in the same amount of time in that country. It has also posted strong numbers in the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Australia and New Zealand. Releases in Germany, Japan, Russia and China are soon to follow.
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The strong box office for the film is good news for the film at the Oscars, to be sure; the academy loves a success story. But it’s also encouraging for the future. “Moonlight” boasts some of the best reviews of any film from 2016, but it lacks A-list stars and its subject matter — about a poor, black, gay young man growing up in Miami — is the kind that is often viewed as too niche to have broad international appeal. Numbers like these could open doors for other supposedly risky projects to get the green light.
“Moonlight” is nominated for eight Oscars and currently ranks second in the race for Best Picture for 16/1 odds (see our latest predictions). It’s tipped to win two awards: Best Supporting Actor (Mahershala Ali) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney).
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