OSCAR NODS BUMP TICKET SALES.

Byline: Greg Hernandez Staff Writer

A whole new box office landscape has been created for ``The Aviator,'' ``Million Dollar Baby,'' ``Sideways,'' ``Finding Neverland,'' and ``Ray,'' none of which have become major hits with the public but all of which received coveted best picture Academy Award nominations Tuesday.

Moviegoers on the fence over whether to head to the multiplex to see any of these movies often count on the Oscar nominations to help make up their minds.

``I know there are certainly a lot of people who have not yet experienced 'Ray,''' said the film's director Taylor Hackford, who received one of the film's six Oscar nods. ``When a film gets nominated, people end up discovering it.''

Jumping to capitalize on the nominations, including one for best actor hopeful Jamie Foxx, Universal Pictures distribution head Nikki Rocco was busy working the phones Tuesday morning booking ``Ray'' back into as many theaters as possible.

Released back in October, it seemed that ``Ray'' had run its course and was down to about 300 theaters last weekend as it prepared for a Feb. 1 DVD release.

``By this Friday, we plan to be in over 450 (locations),'' Rocco said. ``We are giving people the opportunity to see the film on the big screen as well as own an Academy Award-nominated film on video.''

``Ray,'' which has grossed $73 million domestically to date, is in a similar position as ``Lost in Translation'' was last year when that film found itself in theaters and on store shelves at the same time when it received several Oscar nods.

``Million,'' starring in and directed by Clint Eastwood, was playing in only 147 locations as of Monday. But the Warner Bros. film will go into wide release (more than 1,800 theaters) Friday a much stronger contender now that it has seven nominations to tout.

``I think the nominations will help business,'' said Albert S. Ruddy, one of the film's producers. ``Warner Bros. has rolled this picture out slowly and done an intelligent job. I don't believe this was a movie that could have sustained a larger release at the beginning.''

``The Aviator'' is playing in 2,261 theaters and has so far had a solid, but unspectacular run grossing $58.5 million as of Monday. Graham King, one of the film's producers, is hoping to see ``Aviator'' really take flight after landing 11 nominations, the most of any film this year.

``Obviously it's always been a word-of-mouth film and let's hope this gives it the push for people to go and see it,'' King said. ``Middle America needs to go and see it!''

The Fox Searchlight film ``Sideways'' has grossed $32.4 million to date (double its $16 million production cost) and is currently at its widest release point ever: 699 theaters. But it expands into about 1,800 locations Friday boosted by its five Oscar nominations.

``For best picture nominees, their prime time to make their mark is from now until the (Feb. 27) Academy Award telecast,'' said box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations Co. ``An Oscar nomination is a pretty strong recommendation to see a film and there's no better marketing opportunity than to take advantage of that.''

Miramax Films' ``Finding Neverland'' had stalled at $32.5 million in just over 1,000 screens as of last weekend. But its seven Oscar nods could breathe new life into the film starring Johnny Depp.

``It feels to me like receiving seven nominations is a bounty,'' said Richard N. Gladstein, one of the film's two producers. ``Because we are a smaller movie and a period movie, I'd really be very happy if the publicity we garner from the nominations beckons people in the door.''

Greg Hernandez, [phone]

greg.hernandez(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

(color) JAMIE FOXX

Nominated for ``Ray''