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As 2009 approached and end of year awards were announced, Slumdog Millionaire gained tremendous momentum. It made several such lists and developed buzz as the small scale film critics were championing against the big dogs of the studio system. Ironically, their zealous support of this title turned it into exactly the sort of box office success its subject matter was expected to prevent it from becoming. On January 22nd, the film became Boyle's most successful release by surpassing 28 Days Later's $45.1 million total. During the month of January, Slumdog Millionaire had a slight setback the second weekend in falling 19% to $3.8 million. Any concerns that its mainstream appeal was lackluster were quickly put to rest the following weekend. Its tenth frame became its most successful to date as the movie earned $5.8 million, but it's the following weekend when it gained new momentum. Fresh on the heels of ten Academy Award nominations, the Danny Boyle film gained another 83% from the prior weekend with a tally of $10.3 million. During its 28 weeks in theatrical release, this was one of only two times the film managed a double digits weekend, the rarest of box office feats for $100+ million earners in this day and age. After the $10.3 million, its running total had jumped up to $56.1 million. Of course, Slumdog Millionaire's largest overall weekend total did not occur until its 16th frame. A still-modest $12.0 million three-day performance gave it a running total of $115.0 million. It also represented a 43% spike from the prior weekend's $8.4 million. What was the cause of this significant increase so late in the run of Slumdog Millionaire? People wanted to see what the fuss was about regarding the film that had just won eight (!) Academy Awards. It is currently tied for the eighth largest amount of Oscars wins in the history of the ceremony. It was indisputably the critical hit of the period between the start of 2008 and now. The current crop of awards contenders looks lackluster in comparison to the awards season domination that was Slumdog Millionaire's run. By the time Danny Boyle's triumphant project had exited theaters, it had surpassed the combined domestic box office revenue of all seven of his prior releases...by over $20 million. The film with the modest $14 million price tag wound up earning over a factor of ten more in domestic revenue with a final tally of $141.3 million. And as would be expected of a film set in India helmed by one of the most popular English directors of all time, Slumdog Millionaire was a worldwide sensation as well. It earned another $222.7 million overseas, giving the film a global total of $364.0 million. While I realize that the revenue splits are much more complex than this, I cannot help but note the beauty of a $14 million movie earning $350 million beyond its price tag. In terms of awards success and revenue relative to budget, Slumdog Millionaire is aptly described as the perfect movie project.
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