The Oscars are golden for box office

For you and your fellow office-poolers, a best picture Oscar might be worth a few bucks. For the film industry, it's worth millions.

Whatever else you may say about the Oscars, they still resonate with moviegoers. Stamp "Oscar" on a poster, even if it's followed by "-nominated," and you've grabbed the average ticket buyer's attention. A nomination alone can increase a film's box office by more than 20 percent, according to market research firm IBISWorld in Los Angeles. It's called the Oscar bump, and it's already working for "The King's Speech." On Tuesday it earned 12 Oscar nods, including one for best picture. By Wednesday its online ticket sales at Fandango.com had increased 76 percent.

The Weinstein Company planned to expand "The King's Speech" to 2,500 theaters in North America over this weekend, giving the relatively low-budget movie the exposure of a big-studio project like, say, "The Tourist," which opened in about 2,750 theaters, according to BoxOfficeMojo .com. That would be an even wider release than "Black Swan," another small movie that has become a breakout hit in more than 2,400 theaters.

Harvey Weinstein is also considering re-editing "The King's Speech," the Los Angeles Times recently reported. Removing some profanity could change the R rating to PG-13, which would further widen the movie's audience.

And if it wins best picture? Historically, says IBISWorld, that worth another 15 percent in sales, or about $14 million. No wonder those statues are made of gold.