• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic

1

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
Arts & Entertainment

‘Moonlight’ Is Among the Lowest-Grossing Oscar Best Picture Winners Ever

By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 27, 2017, 2:40 PM ET
89th Academy Awards - Oscars Awards Show
Writer and Director Barry Jenkins of "Moonlight" holds up the Best Picture Oscar in front of host Jimmy Kimmel (rear) as he stands with Producer Adele Romanski (R) at the 89th Academy Awards on February 26, 2017 in Hollywood. © Lucy Nicholson / Reuters
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

The Academy Awards proved yet again last night that box-office success doesn’t always translate into Oscar glory.

Moonlight won the top prize at Sunday night’s Oscars ceremony—after some initial envelope confusion created a bizarre scene—and, despite the fact that the independent drama never made much of a splash at the box office. The movie, about a young, gay black man growing up in an impoverished Miami neighborhood, has only made a little more than $22.2 million in domestic movie ticket sales so far, according to Box Office Mojo. That made Moonlight the lowest-grossing Best Picture nominee at this year’s Academy Awards—and among the lowest ever for a Best Picture winner—even after generating months of Oscars buzz.

Moonlight never received a wide theatrical release after hitting theaters in October, topping out at around 1,100 theaters in the U.S. last month. But the film’s big win last night could result in a renewed box-office push from distributor A24 to capitalize on the so-called “Oscar bump” in ticket sales.

In contrast to Moonlight, this year’s top-grossing Best Picture nominees were Hidden Figures ($152 million in domestic ticket sales) topping out at more than 3,400 theaters nationwide and La La Land ($140 million) in more than 3,200 theaters, according to Box Office Mojo.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune‘s technology newsletter.

Out of this year’s Oscars Best Picture crop, the only film that has come close to Moonlight‘s low-grossing numbers is the Texas-set crime drama Hell or High Water, with $27 million in ticket sales. Considering the added exposure that Moonlight will get after last night’s eventful Oscar win, the film directed by Barry Jenkins could soon see a boost in ticket sales (the aforementioned “Oscar bump”) that might push it past Hell or High Water‘s box office totals. Deadline noted that Moonlight could be on track to gross roughly $40 million worldwide when all is said and done, with the film only recently seeing wide international release.

 

Of course, grossing $40 million would actually mean a pretty solid profit for the independent studio A24, as Moonlight reportedly cost as little as $1.5 million to make. While that figure does not include marketing for the film, Moonlight‘s producers are clearly seeing a solid return on their investment, as the Oscar winner is certainly one of the cheapest films to ever win the Best Picture Oscar. (In comparison, La La Land cost a reported $30 million to make while Hidden Figures cost $25 million.)

Still, without a major box-office bump, Moonlight is likely to go down as one of the lowest-grossing Best Pictures ever. Two years ago, the Academy Awards anointed Best Picture winner Birdman (starring Michael Keaton as a washed-up action film star), which grossed roughly $42 million domestically, though the movie added another $60 million overseas. The lowest-grossing film to ever win the Best Picture Oscar (accounting for inflation) is the 2009 Iraq war drama The Hurt Locker, which made only $17 million domestically (or, around $19.4 million in today’s dollars).

About the Author
By Tom Huddleston Jr.
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

p
RetailWorld Cup
The 2 billion-print, $2-pack last hurrah for a World Cup legend: the Panini sticker album’s last ride
By Dave Skretta and The Associated PressJune 27, 2026
8 hours ago
‘I’ll listen to ‘Only the Young’ at home on my own’: Zohran doesn’t know about a Swift-Kelce wedding at MSG, but he’s not going
Arts & EntertainmentNew York City
‘I’ll listen to ‘Only the Young’ at home on my own’: Zohran doesn’t know about a Swift-Kelce wedding at MSG, but he’s not going
By Kimberlee Kruesi and The Associated PressJune 27, 2026
8 hours ago
p
EnvironmentParis
The most coveted accessory at Paris Fashion Week was an ice pack
By Thomas Adamson and The Associated PressJune 26, 2026
1 day ago
st
EuropeSwitzerland
Switzerland’s Great St. Bernard Pass has a new museum to celebrate its most famous export: the giant dogs that eat 10 metric tons of food per year
By The Associated PressJune 26, 2026
1 day ago
AI is overwhelming our senses—Edward Enninful has an answer for that 
EuropeLetter from London
AI is overwhelming our senses—Edward Enninful has an answer for that 
By Kamal AhmedJune 26, 2026
2 days ago
merlin
North AmericaWorld Cup
Merlin the Duck was allowed inside Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium, but only to film a commercial
By Nayara Batschke and The Associated PressJune 25, 2026
2 days ago

Most Popular

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Success
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
By Preston ForeJune 27, 2026
13 hours ago
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
3 days ago
Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
Success
Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 24, 2026
4 days ago
The 33-year-old executive Satya Nadella is trusting to fix Microsoft’s Copilot AI assistant
AI
The 33-year-old executive Satya Nadella is trusting to fix Microsoft’s Copilot AI assistant
By Sebastian HerreraJune 27, 2026
14 hours ago
Ray Dalio just finished a 10-day trip to China. He says global leaders know America ‘doesn’t have what it takes to fight to maintain its empire’
Asia
Ray Dalio just finished a 10-day trip to China. He says global leaders know America ‘doesn’t have what it takes to fight to maintain its empire’
By Nick LichtenbergJune 24, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of silver as of Friday, June 26, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Friday, June 26, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 26, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.