Upon its release in April, Ryan Coogler's Sinners was an instant sensation. Critically beloved and a box-office success to boot, the period vampire epic led by Michael B. Jordan thrived off stunning craft, a contagious love of the filmmaking process, and a shared desire to fall in love with a big Hollywood movie again. By the end of its opening weekend, Sinners seemed like a shoo-in for Oscar consideration.
But that was six months ago.
Hollywood can have a terribly short memory when it comes to awards, so if Sinners was going to mount a successful For Your Consideration campaign, it was inevitably going to have to remind the industry that even though it came out in the spring, they should still consider it.
And as of this week, that effort seems to have officially kicked off.
Yesterday, Warner Bros. announced a one-week Imax rerelease for Sinners, starting on Oct. 30 — just in time for Halloween. As seasonally appropriate as the programming might be, it's also a savvy bit of strategy as other awards contenders are flooding theaters.
"This limited engagement offers audiences the chance to experience one of the most original and emotionally resonant films to ever reach the big screen in the way Coogler originally envisioned: presented in premium format on Imax 70MM and Imax screens,” WB stated in a release announcing the run. “The rerelease reunites audiences with a story that spoke volumes when it first premiered — both for its ambitious visual storytelling and for the passion and artistry of its stellar cast and crew."
Sinners is returning to theaters just as some of its Best Picture competition is firming up. After sitting in first place for Gold Derby's category predictions for most of the year, the film has slipped to third place, behind festival favorite Hamnet and the other critically praised, auteur-driven hit put out by Warner Bros., One Battle After Another.
The rerelease news came the same day Warner Bros. revealed the filmmakers would be submitting "I Lied to You" and "Last Time (I Seen the Sun)" from the Sinners soundtrack for Best Original Song consideration, staking an early claim to the musical category.
(The song submission news was first reported by Variety.)
The blues-heavy film's track list could be another potential boon for its awards prospects. Among the top contenders for Best Picture, Sinners is the film with the most prominent use of music, meaning its nomination total could extend into categories where its competition can't compete.
But there's a monster awaiting Sinners in Best Original Song. "Golden" from KPop Demon Hunters spent nearly two months as the top song of the Billboard Hot 100, a level of awareness that will be hard to beat.
How do you like Sinners odds in Best Picture? Can it make up some ground and remind audiences that they love it? Sound off in the comments.
