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Get Ready for the Lowest-Rated Oscars Ever!

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Can the 81st Academy Awards surpass last year’s record low to become the worst-watched Oscars of all time? Probably! The combined box-office total for the five films nominated for Best Picture this year is but a measly $185 million, which is approximately the same amount of money that The Dark Knight made in its first hour of release last July. And it’s even less than the combined $216 million that 2007’s Best Picture contenders earned before their nominations were announced — and we all know how last year’s viewership was. Also, factor in that host Hugh Jackman’s superlative sexiness has not yet translated into a loyal fan base, along with the widespread assumption that most of this year’s top races have long been decided, and chances are pretty good that, come the morning of February 23, the Academy might wish it had nominated Wall-E after all.

Get Ready for the Lowest-Rated Oscars Ever!