The LA Times recently published an article about how even 13 Oscar nominations might not be enough for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (trailer, review) to earn back its budget.

Not only did Paramount and co-financing partner Warner Bros. spend $150 million to make it, but the companies will also be laying out an additional $135 million to market and distribute the picture worldwide, according to a person familiar with the situation. Since the movie opened Dec. 25, Paramount has spent lavishly, particularly on its Oscar campaign, which some industry executives estimate could exceed $10 million.

To date, “Button” has grossed $104 million at the U.S. box office and generated an additional $16.2 million in Australia and a handful of markets overseas.

Even with its forthcoming international take and eventual DVD sales, “Button” could struggle to earn a significant profit — or even a modest one.

Benjamin Button wasn’t the best movie ever made, but it’d be a shame if studio execs see this and interpret it as high-minded, big budget movies with name directors being a bad bet.  And you know they will because studio execs are idiots, look at Fox.  The problem wasn’t the big budget, the problem was that every studio put out their “awards” film at the same time, all banking on the same poorly defined phenomenon like they always do.  Hey, I have an idea, why not release Button in January or March, when it’s going up against Underworld 12 and Martin Lawrence in a Fat Suit 7? My guess is it would split less audience with those than with Gran Torino, The Wrestler, Milk, Slumdog, Frost/Nixon and every other award movie they put it up against.  But hey, what do I know, I’m just a muscular supergenius.