"It's amazing," said Ms. Gigliotti, who is head of production at USA Films.

USA Films agreed to finance and offered the filmmakers more money than Fox.

USA Films then transformed into Focus Features in 2002.

Only Focus Features - at the time called USA Films - showed interest, but the timing and the chemistry proved difficult.

USA Films, however, liked the project from the start and offered the film-makers more money than Fox.

USA Films, however, had wanted to take on the movie from the first time Soderbergh approached them.

After Fox dropped the film in early 2000 and before USA Films expressed interest soon after, Soderbergh paid for pre-production with his own money.

USA Films, 1999.

"These movies are meant for sophisticated audiences," said Mr. Schwartz of USA Films.

"To get seven nominations, we spent less than the other contenders spent," said Scott Greenstein, chairman of USA Films.