Fantasy-drama “The Shape of Water” has defeated a group of strong contenders and taken home the best picture title at yesterday’s 90th Academy Awards. This year’s best-picture nominees included immediate box-office hits “Get Out,” “Dunkirk” and “The Post.” A number of the them, however, including winner “The Shape of Water,” weren't released widely to the public until much later.
It’s part of some studios’ strategy to release their films slowly, building on word of mouth and, indeed, award nominations. Unlike a “wide release,” in which a new film opens in more than 1,500 theaters on the same weekend, a “platform release” of a film means it will typically open in fewer than 50 theaters to start.
Films using a wide release* strategy open on as many screens as possible, usually in more than 1,500 theaters.
Films using a platform release strategy typically open in fewer than 50 theaters and expand later on.
Films using a wide release* strategy open on as many screens as possible, usually in more than 1,500 theaters.
Films using a platform release strategy typically open in fewer than 50 theaters and expand later on.
*A wide release can sometimes start small and go wide to over 1,500 theaters in one step, which we’ve defined as a delayed wide release rather than a true platform.
A wide release is usually pursued when a distributor believes a movie will be an immediate hit, on the basis of its existing fandom or a major marketing campaign.
The platform release, on the other hand, can be used to gauge a film’s appeal. “A platform release takes a lot of planning. The strategy usually changes on the fly through the response of public and critics,” said Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst with comScore.
Out of this year’s nine best-picture nominees, three followed a wide-release strategy, while the rest used a platform release.
This year’s best-picture winner, Guillermo del Toro’s monster fantasy love story “The Shape of Water,” for example, opened in two theaters in New York, then expanded to another 39 in 15 other cities the following week, and was in more than 700 theaters by Christmas.
“There’s the whole awards bounce that you hope for,” said the movie’s producer, J. Miles Dale, in an interview with MarketWatch, “You can keep building and give yourself a much longer theatrical life that way, without taking up all that real estate and having these guys [the theater owners] kick you out. Because they don’t care what movie it is, as long as their theater is full.”
Platform-release movies, however, have won the 
Oscar for best picture seven out of eight times.
With the winning of “The Shape of Water” this year, which also used the platform-release strategy, that's eight out of nine times.
In the past, many films that received nominations saw a significant bump in public interest and, as a result, the number of screening theaters.
For some platform-release films, the number can reach an all-time high.
“Silver Linings Playbook,” for example, more than tripled its theater locations and doubled the weekend gross after the nomination.
Of course, winning the best picture usually brings a film yet another surge.
Some platform-release films can even reach the wide-release scope of more than 1,500 theaters.
Over the past eight years, best-picture nominees have used both approaches.
Platform-release movies, however, have won the Oscar for best picture seven out of eight times.
With the winning of “The Shape of Water” this year, which also used the platform-release strategy, that's eight out of nine times.
In the past, many films that received nominations saw a significant bump in public interest and, as a result, the number of screening theaters.
Nominated for best picture
Nominated for best picture
For some platform-release films, the number can reach an all-time high.
“Silver Linings Playbook,” for example, more than tripled its theater locations and doubled the weekend gross after the nomination.
Of course, winning the best picture usually brings a film yet another surge.
Nomination
Win
Nomination
Win
Some platform-release films can even reach the wide-release scope of more than 1,500 theaters.
1,500 theaters
1,500 theaters
Note: Data cover 50 weeks since a film's initial release.
Source: comScore
There is no fixed rule, but films with smaller budgets tend to start with platform release in order to avoid excessive marketing costs. Higher-budget movies, on the other hand, tend to use a wide release, hoping for higher gross revenue to cover production and marketing costs.
Films from 2009-16
Avatar
$425 million
Toy Story 3
$200 million
Bigger budget films use wide release to justify the cost.
The Fighter
$11 million
Typically, smaller budget films will use a platform release.
The Tree of Life
$35 million
Higher budget
Lower budget
Avatar
$425 million
Toy Story 3
$200 million
Bigger budget films use wide release to justify the cost.
Typically, smaller budget films will use a platform release.
Higher budget
Lower budget
Note: Estimated budgets of best-picture nominees since 2009.
Sources: The Numbers, comScore
Since 2009, 76% of best-picture nominees were released in October, November or December. Rolling out too close to awards season, however, might hurt a film’s chance of winning. From 2009 to 2016, candidates released in December have never taken home the Oscar for best picture. “The Shape of Water,” released on Dec. 1st last year, will be the first to break that pattern.
Release dates of best-picture nominees and winners by week (since 2009)
“The Shape of Water” is the first best-picture winner since 2009 with a December release
Best-picture winner
The Shape of Water
Phantom Thread
The Post
The Shape of Water
Call Me by Your Name
Darkest Hour
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Lady Bird
Dunkirk
Get Out
“The Shape of Water” is the first best-picture winner since 2009 with a December release
Best-picture winner
The Post
Lady Bird
Dunkirk
Get Out
Source: comScore