Barry Jenkins: “Here’s The Oscar Speech I Would Have Given”

UPDATE: The Oscar snafu that caused controversial all throughout Hollywood ended with Moonlight beating La La Land for Best Picture. The surprise caught everyone—including director Barry Jenkins—off guard, leaving the newly awarded creator with no time to share his planned speech.

Until today, that is.

The movie’s writer-director revealed the words that he planned to say with his win. You can check it out below:

Also, as a result of it’s Best Picture win Moonlight has now crossed $25 million at the box office.

See the original story underneath.

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Following the film’s win for Best Picture (as well as several other awards) at this year’s Oscars, Moonlight will now be expanded to 1,500 theaters across the United States.

In a report from the Associated Press, distributor A24 has announced that the well-received film will now play in about 1,500 theaters this weekend. Moonlight never surpassed 1,104 screens, with most major wide-release films opening on 3,000 or more screens.

The expansion will surely add to the money the movie has already earned. Made for just $1.5 million Moonlight has already grossed $22.3 million in its domestic release — nearly 15 times more than its budget.

Moonlight‘s Best Picture win at the Oscars came in awkward fashion. Initially, it had been announced that La La Land had won the award, but it was then revealed that Moonlight was the actual recipient of the award.

Although director Barry Jenkins did not get the opportunity to give the speech he would have wanted to during the awards ceremony, he did reveal what he would have said if the mistake had not occurred, for The Hollywood Reporter.

“Tarell [Alvin McCraney] and I are Chiron. We are that boy,” Jenkins wrote. “And when you watch Moonlight, you don’t assume a boy who grew up how and where we did would grow up and make a piece of art that wins an Academy Award. I’ve said that a lot, and what I’ve had to admit is that I placed those limitations on myself, I denied myself that dream. Not you, not anyone else — me. And so, to anyone watching this who sees themselves in us, let this be a symbol, a reflection that leads you to love yourself. Because doing so may be the difference between dreaming at all and, somehow through the Academy’s grace, realizing dreams you never allowed yourself to have. Much love.”