It was a breakthrough year for the indie movie business.
The art-house contingent, which rode to the rescue of Sony Pictures’ “The Interview” after major theater chains refused to show the controversial comedy, also witnessed greater commercial and critical success.
The most successful indie, Wes Anderson’s “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” netted $59 million, a personal record for the buzzworthy director, according to IndieWire.
In 2013, the biggest revenue generator was Lionsgate’s “Instructions Not Included,” which took in $44.4 million through the end of the year.
What’s more, a host of independent films are tipped as possible Oscar Best Picture nominees, including, “Birdman,” starring Michael Keaton as a washed-up action hero actor trying to mount a comeback, and “Boyhood,” the 12-years-in-the-making Richard Linklater opus from AMC Networks’ IFC Films.
“Indies are providing a serious silver lining for the industry,” said Rentrak’s Paul Dergarabedian.
“American Sniper,” “The Theory of Everything,” “The Imitation Game,” “Wild,” “Foxcatcher,” “Birdman,” “Selma” and “Inherent Vice,” among others, are doing brisk business and generating a lot of buzz, he added.
“This will at least have a positive cumulative effect on the box office bottom line,” Dergarabedian said.
All that indie jazz also bodes well for Robert Redford’s Sundance Film Festival. The festival, which kicks off in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 22, has long been a must for film buffs but is now seen as an avid market for film buyers.