The success in both critical acclaim and box office performance undoubtedly bolstered the film's chances for the Oscars. Although the awards season had not yet officially begun, November was swiftly passing, and the publicity campaigns by CAA, 20th Century Fox, and Stanton Studios were already in full swing.
The current social climate, especially the series of changes within the Catholic Church, was indeed favorable for the film, but there was no room for complacency.
Significant amounts of PR and advertising funds were poured into numerous mainstream media outlets.
The highly influential "The Hollywood Reporter" became a focal point for Murphy and 20th Century Fox's campaigns, with strong, supportive articles about "Spotlight" appearing every few days.
"Murphy Stanton's new film 'Spotlight' is the most understated and indisputably best film of the year so far. Its story is restrained yet surging with undercurrents, its plot complex yet rich and full, its characters vividly portrayed. In the limited space for performances, each character is brought to life with flesh and blood and soul, forming a deep, still pool of passion. From every perspective, it represents the highest achievements in contemporary realist cinema."
Additionally, with substantial revenues as a foundation, reporters from "The Hollywood Reporter" also interviewed Oliveira Rodrigues, the newly appointed Archbishop of California's Central and Southern Diocese, who replaced Marcus Costello.
"'Spotlight' depicts a painful moment in the Church's history. The Church must confront those hidden and shameful events."
Compared to his predecessor, Oliveira Rodrigues had a much more moderate approach and was candid about the issues the film raised. "The Pope will not discourage us from watching this film but rather remind us to identify the problems within the Church from it, actively address those issues, and prevent new ones from arising."
The Catholic Church's renewed attitude further enhanced the acclaim for "Spotlight."
Many media outlets featured headlines like "'Spotlight' Exposes Social Cancers, Prompts Catholic Church Reform."
All these efforts helped "Spotlight" expand its influence.
December arrived quietly, marking the start of the new American film awards season. In the first award announced for the season, Murphy and "Spotlight" emerged as big winners.
The Gotham Independent Film Awards bestowed the Best Director and Best Film awards upon Murphy and "Spotlight" respectively.
This was a rare occurrence since the Gotham Film Awards, renamed the Gotham Independent Film Awards, rarely awarded major prizes to films distributed by the Big Six studios.
"Spotlight" winning the award did not spark controversy; it seemed everyone considered it a deserved outcome.
When announcing "Spotlight" as the Best Film, the Gotham Independent Film Awards offered this commentary: "In recognition of fearless spirit and shocking courage... This film exposed a scandal, drawing attention from Boston, across the United States, and internationally, prompting changes within the Vatican."
In every aspect, "Spotlight" maintained exceptional acclaim and a near-explosive level of interest.
These factors translated directly into the film's box office performance.
Before the third weekend of its release, the North American box office surpassed the $40 million production cost line. Subsequently, the number of theaters showing the film increased from over 1,800 to nearly 3,000, essentially making it available in theaters across North America.
With ample screens, "Spotlight" saw a slight decline in weekend box office, but the drop was minimal, raking in another $27.2 million over three days, bringing its North American total close to $70 million.
Simultaneously, the film began entering European markets. Thanks to the prior publicity and excellent performance in North America, it grossed $45 million in one weekend from countries deeply influenced by Catholicism, including the UK, Italy, France, Spain, and Germany.
"Spotlight" thus surpassed the $100 million mark in global box office revenue.
In the following weekend, 20th Century Fox continued to expand its release internationally. New markets included Mexico, Brazil, Argentina in Latin America, Australia, and New Zealand in Oceania, and additional European countries.
After this new weekend, the combined North American and international box office brought in over $50 million more.
At this point, "Spotlight" had earned over $160 million in total box office revenue.
Subsequently, 20th Century Fox and Stanton Studios entered a new phase in their Oscar campaign, inviting the real-life figures behind the main characters to share their experiences.
From the film's inception, Stanton Studios had agreements with the original figures, led by Marty Baron and Robbie Robinson, to participate in promotions if the film's stance and quality met their standards.
As the awards season progressed, Marty Baron was the first to join the promotional battle for "Spotlight," penning an article about the film for "The Washington Post."
In his article, Marty Baron expressed how deeply moved he was when he first watched the film at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Later, at the first screening in Boston, when the credits rolled, the cast was invited onto the stage by the host, followed by the real-life journalists portrayed in the film. There, they received a standing ovation from the audience.
He wrote, "That was an emotional and moving moment. I thought of our past investigations and the hardships we endured, which shaped the story in the film. With the film's release, the impact of our efforts will be magnified. I thought the public might now understand why society needs journalists. I also thought of the film's strange appeal: depicting a grim and sorrowful subject like abuse, yet emerging at this incredible crossroads of fame, paparazzi, and grand interviews to capture global attention."
Marty Baron further mentioned that he had long considered turning the story of their investigative reporting into a film but only began seriously pursuing it around 2010. Meeting Seth Rogen, who portrayed him in "Spotlight," gave him a sense of how Rogen would bring his character to life.
"Our first meeting lasted less than two hours, and during our conversation, I realized it wasn't quite an interview. It felt like a session where a psychologist observes a patient. However, instead of keeping his observations confidential like a psychologist, he would portray them in the film for millions to see."
Praising Seth Rogen's performance, Marty Baron said, "The character is very much like me. Many of my colleagues in the journalism world recognized me immediately when they watched the film."
In films based on real people and events, the viewpoints of the real-life figures often carry significant weight.
Following Marty Baron, others also stepped forward to promote "Spotlight."
"When I watched this film, it felt like looking through a mirror at the past events, so real it seemed they had just happened."
Robbie Robinson said in an interview with Fox News, "Reflecting on the past under someone else's direction is not always a pleasant experience. Every team member spent weeks interviewing victims back then. During that time, I heard many stories I tried hard to forget. But now, with Robert Downey Jr. portraying me, the film has brought all those unpleasant memories of the Catholic Church back."
Sacha Pfeiffer, in an interview with her hometown newspaper "The Columbus Telegram," said the film was very real, making her relive the unsettling events.
She also said, "When I heard that Murphy Stanton wanted to make a film about those events, I was very nervous. The story depicted in the script is true and almost impossible to alter. I think they have stayed true to history, and for that, I am very grateful."
Michael Rezendes, still engaged in investigative journalism, stated in an interview with "The New York Times," "Some of the film's audience may have never read our reports before. I hope the film's release will encourage more victims to come forward. Their stories can give journalism, especially the struggling print media, a shot of adrenaline, helping the media rejuvenate itself while conducting in-depth reporting."
These original figures praising the film added weight to "Spotlight's" Oscar campaign.
With the real-life counterparts of the characters coming forward, Murphy also remained active. On a mid-December day, as he entered CAA's Death Star building, he gave an interview.
"You say the incidence of child abuse by the Church is no higher than other groups? Yes, I admit that. But the problem is, when others commit such acts, they are punished, but the Church's offenders are not!"
Responding directly to a reporter's question, Murphy stated, "This point is also described in the film: the Church has people covering up these crimes, making the victims' plight even worse."
He then addressed the film's authenticity, "We interviewed every member of the reporting team at the same time, recreating the story from multiple perspectives of what happened years ago. Every version of the script was reviewed by these journalists and editors until we got their approval."
After the interview, Murphy entered the Death Star building to discuss an important matter with Bill Rossis.
He was there to talk about Sony Columbia Pictures!
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