20 current Oscar-nominated films that have been seen the least

The Harry Potter spinoff “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” premiered across the U.S. on Nov. 18, 2016, after much anticipation on the part of J.K. Rowling fans. The bad news is that the $180 million film only earned two Oscar nods: Best Production Design and Best Costume Design. The good news, however, is that most people behind the film won’t mind the lack of nominations, because “Fantastic Beasts” raked in $232 million at the domestic box office, and another $575 million abroad, for a worldwide gross of $807 million.

After its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 1, 2016, “Arrival” was released in the U.S. and Canada on Nov. 11, where it earned $24 million in its opening weekend and almost $96 million in the weeks since. The worldwide numbers are now north of $174 million. The sci-fi film directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by Eric Heisserer is based on the 1998 short story "Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang, and stars Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and Forest Whitaker. It has earned eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Although “La La Land” earned a relatively modest $9 million when it opened nationwide on Christmas Day, its domestic totals have quickly skyrocketed to $93 million, and almost $178 million worldwide. Written and directed by Damien Chazelle, the musical starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling has earned a record-tying 14 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Gosling), Best Actress (Stone), and two Best Original Songs.

“Hidden Figures,” the true story of NASA’s first female African-American mathematicians, was a hit from the very beginning, earning almost $23 million in its opening weekend in early Jan. 2017. Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress (Octavia Spencer) have since pushed the total even higher, and it now sits at more than $88 million domestic.

Telling the true story of the only conscientious objector to win a Medal of Honor, “Hacksaw Ridge” premiered Sept. 4, 2016, in Venice and Nov. 4, 2016, stateside - earning $15 million in its opening week, with current grosses of $65 million domestic and $163 million worldwide. The Mel Gibson-directed war film stars Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, and Hugo Weaving, and has earned three Academy Award nominations: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor (Garfield).

The Denzel Washington-directed drama “Fences” opened nationwide in the U.S. on Dec. 25, 2016, and earned $11.6 million. After word quickly spread about this fantastic film that would eventually land four Oscar nods (Best Picture, Best Actor [Denzel Washington], Best Supporting Actress [Viola Davis] and Best Adapted Screenplay), the numbers soared, and currently sit around $49 million nationwide. “Fences” is based on the Pulitzer-Prize- and Tony-winning August Wilson play of the same name.

When Robert Zemeckis directs a film and casts Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard to star in it, it’s a safe bet to assume the movie will do well at the box office. Such was the case of “Allied,” the World War II romance thriller released across the U.S. on Nov. 23, 2017. In just over two months, it earned $40 million at the domestic box office and an additional $69 million abroad. However, “Allied” wasn’t nearly as successful in regard to Academy Award nominations, where it only earned one for Best Costume Design.

Released across the U.S. in mid-January, Kenneth Lonergan’s “Manchester by the Sea” has slowly climbed from a $4 million debut to a gross of about $39 million thanks to strong performances by Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, and youngster Lucas Hedges. Of course, getting nominated for six Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor [Affleck], Best Supporting Actor [Hedges], Best Supporting Actress [Williams], and Best Original Screenplay) added quite a boost too.

The Academy Awards wouldn’t be complete without Meryl Streep getting a Best Actress nomination, which is exactly what happened with Stephen Frears’ “Florence Foster Jenkins,” which also earned a nod for Best Costume Design. The biographical film has thus far earned more than $27 million, which is even more impressive when you consider the fact that it was released back in August and left theaters in October – well in advance of its Oscar nominations.

After an initial release at Cannes, the western “Hell or High Water” earned $3.5 million when it opened nationwide in the U.S. on Aug. 12, 2016. Garnering immediate Oscar buzz, the film eventually received Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Jeff Bridges), Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing. Also starring Chris Pine, Ben Foster, and Gil Birmingham, “Hell or High Water” has now grossed more than $27 million in the U.S.

Earning only $2 million at the box office after its nationwide release in early January, “Lion” has picked up steam and now grossed more than $17 million. Considering the fact that the Garth Davis-directed, Luke Davies-written drama has amassed six Academy Award nominations (including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor [Dev Patel], Best Supporting Actress [Nicole Kidman], and Best Adapted Screenplay), these numbers will likely increase exponentially in the coming weeks.

For a phenomenal film like Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight,” it’s surprising to see a box office gross of only $16 million – especially considering its mid-November nationwide release was over two months ago. Hopefully the strong performances by Naomie Harris and Mahershala Ali or the film’s eight Oscar nominations (including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay) will help boost the viewership numbers.

Natalie Portman’s portrayal of Jackie Kennedy in “Jackie” has earned more than $11 million and three Oscar nominations since its early December 2016 release. In addition to a Best Actress nod for Portman, the film is also up for Best Original Score and Best Costume Design for its 1960s-era fashion. “Jackie” was written by Noah Oppenheim and directed by Pablo Larraín.

After fashion designer Tom Ford successfully tried his hand at writing and directing films with 2009’s “A Single Man,” he returned in 2016 to write and direct “Nocturnal Animals,” a psychological thriller starring Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Michael Shannon. “A Single Man” earned a single Oscar Best Actor nod for Colin Firth, and “Nocturnal Animals” followed suit by also earning one for Michael Shannon, although it was Best Supporting Actor this time around. However, the current film has fared better at the box office, earning more than $10.5 million during its run.

“The Lobster” was released in the U.S. on May 13, 2016, ran for four months, and only earned $8.7 million during that time. Of course, it’s probably safe to assume that many people didn’t think much after seeing the trailer for this absurdist dystopian dark comedy about single people being turned into animals. However, the film, screenwriters Efthimis Filippou and Yorgos Lanthimos, and the stellar cast (including Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, and John C. Reilly) should be taken seriously, as evidence by an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

Jeff Nichols’ “Loving” isn’t simply a film about an interracial couple, it’s the true story of Richard and Mildred Loving, two people who were a major force during the Civil Rights Movement by helping to invalidate and obliterate state laws prohibiting interracial marriage. Thus far, the film has earned Ruth Negga a Best Actress Academy Award nomination, in addition to almost $8 million at the domestic box office since Nov. 4.

Matt Ross’ comedy-drama “Captain Fantastic” has received generally positive reviews from critics and audiences alike, but has only earned $6 million since its release in Summer 2016. However, most people who saw the film agreed that star Viggo Mortensen gave one of the better performances of his career, which explains his Best Actor nomination from the Academy. “Captain Fantastic” tells the tale of an off-the-grid family that suddenly has to reintegrate into society, and also stars Frank Langella, Kathryn Hahn, and Steve Zahn.

“Silence” stars Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, and Liam Neeson, and was directed by Martin Scorsese, yet it only received a single Academy Award nomination: Best Cinematography. In the film’s defense, it has also earned almost $6 million despite only receiving a nationwide release on Jan. 13, 2017, after a limited release on Dec. 23. “Silence” is based on a 1966 novel of the same name and tells the tale of two 17th-century Jesuit priests who venture from Portugal to Japan to find their missing mentor.

We all probably think stories of growing up with our respective quirky families would make for an entertaining movie, but writer and director Mike Mills actually made it happen. Not only that, but he got Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig, Lucas Jade Zumann, and Billy Crudup to star in the film, which was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the 89th Academy Awards. Thus far, the film has only earned $3 million at the box office, but it only received a nationwide release on Jan. 20, 2017.

The Paul Verhoeven-directed “Elle” was released just prior to Thanksgiving 2016, yet has only amassed $1.5 million at the U.S. box office, and earned just one Academy Award nomination. However, that nod went to lead actress Isabelle Huppert, whose engrossing performance in the psychological thriller has already won her a Best Actress (Drama) Golden Globe, in addition to numerous other accolades.