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Revisiting The Holdovers' box office run as 2024 awards season favorite sparks TV show adaptation
The Holdovers' earned USD 45.7 million worldwide, garnering critical acclaim and award nominations, making it a standout success and sparking a TV series adaptation.
Following its acclaimed theatrical run and an impressive 2024 awards season showing, The Holdovers is headed to the small screen. Variety recently reported that the beloved 2023 film, directed by Alexander Payne and penned by David Hemingson, is being adapted into a television series, which made us revisit the title’s quiet box office success and critical legacy.
Set in 1970 at a New England boarding school, The Holdovers follows a grumpy history professor, played by Paul Giamatti, who reluctantly agrees to supervise students who remain on campus over Christmas break. With heartfelt performances from Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and breakout star Dominic Sessa, the film struck a chord with critics and audiences alike.
Despite being a modest box office performer compared to blockbuster counterparts, The Holdovers carved a space for itself, being nominated at multiple coveted award shows, including the 2024 Oscars. It earned USD 45.7 million worldwide, with USD 20.3 million from domestic theaters and USD 25.3 million from international markets—a notable feat for a dialogue-heavy title in a post-pandemic landscape. The film premiered at the 50th Telluride Film Festival in August 2023 and was released by Focus Features stateside on October 27, 2023.
We urge you to read a bit more about The Holdovers’ stellar awards season run. The film was recognized as one of the top ten films of 2023 by both the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute. Da’Vine Joy Randolph became the season’s standout Best Supporting Actress contender, winning the accolade at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and eventually the Academy Awards. Giamatti’s performance also received wide praise, earning him a nomination for Best Actor at the Oscars.
The reported series adaptation is still in early development, but its announcement has reignited interest in the film’s themes of loneliness, redemption, and unexpected connection. With Hemingson also attached to develop the TV adaptation, fans can expect a similar tone and depth in storytelling. Whether the show will see the original cast coming back or introduce new ones within the same universe remains to be seen.
As studios continue to mine rich cinematic stories for renewed exploration via small screen and streaming, The Holdovers stands out as a worthy candidate. Miramax will oversee its TV journey, per the aforementioned outlet.
Jonathan Glickman, the CEO of the said production and distribution company, revealed their plans to adapt not just The Holdovers but also acclaimed titles like Gangs of New York, Chocolat, The English Patient, and more.
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