Apple’s ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ is among the MoMA Contenders 2023 lineup

The Hammer Museum has revealed its lineup for MoMA Contenders 2023, the annual film series organized by The Museum of Modern Art. Ten films will screen at the Hammer’s Billy Wilder Theater from Nov. 29 – Dec. 14, followed by Q&As with talent involved with the films.

Apple Original Films’ “Killers of the Flower Moon” is among the films.  Variety says the “films being presented are some of the most-anticipated and buzziest titles of the year and many will figure into the awards season race.”

The event is open to the public and tickets can be purchased at the Hammer website. They’re US$20 for general public and $10 for members. 

Regarding the film, which is directed by Martin Scorsese, it crossed the US$100 million mark at the global box office on November 2, reports Deadline. 

As it headed into its third frame, the epic western crime saga was at $102.1 million worldwide, including $45.3 million domestic and $56.8 million from the international box office. 

Deadline adds that Cinemark CEO Sean Gamble said Apple and Amazon, two behemoths of the tech world but newcomers to the wide-release movie business, are so far “very pleased” with their results.

During a conference call with Wall Street analysts to discuss third-quarter results, the major exhibitor boss said Cinemark’s conversations with the two tech firms indicate they remain firmly committed to 

Apple is“really just getting going,” the CEO said. “They had been operating on a slightly smaller level, and now they’re in business with major filmmakers. They’ve got three huge releases over the next five months, meaning ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ ‘Napoleon’ and ‘Argylle.’ All are reaching theaters through distribution partnerships with major studios, but unlike Coda or past Apple films, the trio will spend several weeks in theaters before streaming on Apple TV+.theatrical releases. “There’s real value they see in this space,” he said.

Since “Killers of the Flower Moon” reportedly cost US$200 million to make, it wont’ be profit based solely on theatrical, but the splash it’s  made in terms of publicity, awards buzz and marketing “offers a potent engine for streaming,” says Gamble.