The hit 3-D science fiction film “Avatar” is dominating online buzz surrounding Oscar-nominated films, according to data collected by The Nielsen Company January 25- February 26, 2010.
Smaller Films Do Well in Online Buzz
“Avatar,” which is the most successful film of all time as measured by box office receipts, captured roughly 27% of the online buzz surrounding the 10 Oscar-nominated films this year. This was significantly more buzz than generated by its next-closest competitor, Iraq War drama “The Hurt Locker,” which represented about 17% of online buzz.
However, “The Hurt Locker” is not a blockbuster film in terms of box office, suggesting that online Oscar buzz in not only dominated by financially successful films. The number three film in terms of online buzz, “Up in the Air,” is another large moneymaker, but British art film “An Education” came in fourth place, beating out more commercially successful Hollywood productions such as “The Blind Side,” “Up” and “Inglorious Basterds.”
Golden Globe Winners Dominate Buzz
In terms of online buzz surrounding Best Actor and Best Actress nominees, clearly winning the Golden Globe award in that category is a major boost. Golden Globe winners Jeff Daniels and Sandra Bullock each dominated the buzz in their respective Oscar award category with more than a 25% share. Bullock’s film “The Blind Side” was a mainstream blockbuster hit while Daniels’ film “Crazy Heart” has been in limited release, further suggesting their Golden Globe victories had more to do with their heavy buzz than the films they starred in.
Sandra Bullock’s Reign Continues
Sandra Bullock continues to prove herself as popular with the film-viewing public. Sondra Bullock was the fourth-most popular movie star in the US in 2009, according to The Harris Poll. Bullock was the most popular movie star among Generation X ages 33-44 and the South.
