John Malkovich Says the Oscars Race Was a ‘Different World’ When He Was Last on the Campaign Trail: ‘Now, That’s the Only Way to Get People to Go to Theaters’
John Malkovich says Oscar campaigning has become far more important to drawing audiences into cinemas, as streaming and changes in film culture reshape the industry. Speaking at a London Film Festival event, he contrasted today’s prolonged awards campaigns with his earlier nominations, when films had often already reached audiences and made money.
Malkovich, 72, was nominated for supporting actor for “Places in the Heart” and “In the Line of Fire”, but has attended the Oscars only once. He is now tipped for another nomination for “Wild Horse Nine”, in which he plays a veteran CIA agent alongside Sam Rockwell; the film won him the best actor prize at Venice. He said he accepts that the business changes and prefers to adapt.
- Malkovich says awards campaigns now help bring people back to cinemas.
- His last Oscar nomination was more than 30 years ago.
- He won best actor at Venice for “Wild Horse Nine”.
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Actor John Malkovich has noted that winning an Oscar nomination has become far more crucial to drawing audiences into cinemas. He was commenting on how the film industry's approach to promoting films for the Oscars has intensified dramatically in recent decades, contrasting it with his earlier nominations when films had often already achieved commercial success.
The underlying cause is profound change in how audiences consume films. Streaming services and the growth of home viewing have fundamentally reshaped cinema attendance, with films increasingly dependent on substantial marketing and award recognition to attract paying audiences. Oscar campaigns, once something that followed a film's success, have become essential to generating that success in the first place.
Malkovich's observations carry weight because of his long career in the industry. He received Oscar nominations in the 1980s and 1990s but has largely stayed out of awards campaigns, giving him clear perspective on how markedly the landscape has shifted.