How successful 2017's top Oscar movies really were at the box office

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February 27, 2017 5:31 PM

We took a look at every 2017 Oscar best picture nominee’s budget and compared it to its domestic box-office gross.

"La La Land" is the Oscar favorite, but it hasn't made the most money at the US box office among the best picture nominees.

Though they're certainly not lacking in attention, a number of the nominees for best picture at Sunday night's Oscars actually didn't get that much attention at the box office.

Several of the films nominated — from winner "Moonlight" to "Hell or High Water" —didn't do big business in theaters. That’s because quite a few of the 2017 Oscar darlings are indie movies that just didn't get the exposure that the wide releases did — and had much smaller budgets.

We took a look at every 2017 best picture nominee’s budget and compared it to its domestic box-office gross, based on numbers from Box Office Mojo.

While some movies didn’t make anything close to blockbuster money, every movie on the list exceeded its budget and didn’t lose any money.

It’s no huge surprise that “Hidden Figures” has made the most domestically, since it seems to have the most commercial appeal out of all the nominees on the list, with its moving true story and a star-studded cast. Though it's still a notable achievement for the best picture contender that's led by black actresses (and one with a modest budget).

“La La Land” also has commercial appeal and, with its 6 wins and 14 nominations, a lot of Academy appeal, too. The fact that the stylish and modern movie musical stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling certainly helped.

The third at the box office, “Arrival,” benefited from its sleek sci-fi concept and marketing, plus marquee names in Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and Forrest Whitaker. It was also the most expensive to make on the list.

See below how all the 2017 Oscar best picture nominees did at the box office compared to their budgets:

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