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For nearly 80 years, the Golden Globes have been a key part of the Hollywood awards season. Of course, this year is very different, as Golden Globes 2022 will not be televised or have celebrities in attendance. But fans might still want to watch the nominated movies. Strangely, there’s only one box office hit among the 10 films vying for the two Best Motion Picture categories.

A monitor and backdrop are set up for the Golden Globe 2022 nominations
Golden Globe 2022 nominations | ROBYN BECK/AFP

The Golden Globes recognize a wider range of movies than the Oscars

Part of what has made the Golden Globes so popular among viewers is its acceptance of a wider range of movies. As opposed to something like the Academy Awards, this ceremony has separate categories for both Drama and Musical/Comedy. Distinguishing between the Best Motion Picture, Best Actor, and Best Actress for these two very different types of storytelling gives the awards the opportunity to acknowledge a wider range of talent.

It’s because of this approach that even movies seemingly not traditional awards bait, such as Bridesmaids, Deadpool, and Knives Out have all earned major nods. Since 2010, the Oscars have even loosened its own Best Picture category, expanding it to allow for up to 10 nominees. And Golden Globes 2022 created the space for a variety of movies to secure nominations, even if there’s only one legitimate box office hit in their midst.

Which nominated movie earned the most at the box office?

Of course, 2021 was not a typical year for the movies. Because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, more movies than ever became available exclusively on streaming services. So Musical or Comedy contenders Don’t Look Up and Tick, Tick… BOOM! — both Netflix films — never really hit the big screen. The same goes for The Power of the Dog, another Netflix release, and the Apple TV+ film CODA. And Cyrano has yet to hit a wide release at all.

Belfast and Licorice Pizza both received limited theatrical releases and earned roughly $7 million thus far, according to Box Office Mojo. Meanwhile, King Richard brought in $27 million worldwide in theaters, despite also streaming on HBO Max. Ironically, the only real hit of the bunch is the expensive Dune — another HBO Max day-and-date release — which beat Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story with $396 million worldwide to the musical remake’s $49 million.

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The success of ‘Dune’ says a lot about the current state of the industry

The record-breaking success of Spider-Man: No Way Home proves global audiences are still willing to brave the pandemic and head to theaters. But it has to be for a spectacle event that promises to bring them into another world. To that end, Dune — which carries a reported production budget of $165 million — boasts an ensemble cast, intricate world-building, and a built-in fan base of Frank Herbert’s novel and David Lynch’s 1984 film.

By contrast, Spielberg’s West Side Story is a throwback to a genre that struggled throughout 2021. Even though the 1961 original is revered and Spielberg is a legendary filmmaker, audiences were unwilling to see the Jets and the Sharks duke it out all over again. With a $100 million production budget, West Side Story is unlikely to turn a profit during its theatrical run. But perhaps the Golden Globes will be kinder to the movie than moviegoers have been.

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