Big studios push for swag-fueled Oscars

Giant coffee table books, iPod Shuffles, signed letters from directors, even “Lincoln” turkey roasting pans. The broadcast critics also received an iPod Shuffle, which retails for $49, containing the soundtrack to Universal Pictures’ “Les Miserables,” which is up for music and sound mixing awards. In addition to Warner’s “Argo” and Disney’s “Lincoln,” Sony Pictures is behind “Zero Dark Thirty,” 20th Century Fox is backing “Life of Pi” and Universal is the force behind “Les Miserables.” While The Weinstein Co.’s “Silver Linings Playbook” is earning boffo business above $100 million in ticket sales following co-chairman Harvey Weinstein’s familiar script of making the most of awards season, it appears that this year, the majors have studied up. One look at the release pattern of “Zero Dark Thirty” and it’s clear that Sony didn’t want to repeat what happened to “The Hurt Locker,” another Kathryn Bigelow-directed war film that despite its best picture win, made just $19 million in theaters worldwide. “With approximately $90 million in box office to date, the film has been a huge critical and commercial success and no matter how we do at the Oscar ceremony on Sunday, we couldn’t be more pleased with the film’s performance.” Starting small and then going wide after the nominations is the “Playbook” that The Weinstein Co. has followed for years, although company co-chairman Harvey Weinstein denies the pattern.