Pan's Labyrinth Is a Hit

Picturehouse president Bob Berney has done the late-breaking Oscar contender thing before--Monster's Charlize Theron was one notable recent example--but he really has had to gut it out since he debuted Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth all the way back in May at Cannes. It must have been tough to watch all the other contenders build up momentum and wait until December 29th to open. What he did, effectively, was to create strong word-of-mouth and want-to-see at fall festivals and through a rigorous screening program which scored such rave reviews as this. Berney talks to Hollywood Elsewhere's Jeff Wells about the strategy that yielded such strong opening numbers—and might nab a best director or production design slot along with the expected best foreign film Oscar nomination. Independent Spirit Award voters have already tagged it for best picture and cinematography consideration.