Every week, we’ll take a look back 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years into the box office past to explore how Oscar’s nominees were doing at the box office that weekend historically. All data is taken from Box Office Mojo. The first section under each year is the positioning of all Oscar nominees during that weekend at the box office. The second section is an alphabetical list of those films and the categories in which they were nominated. And to start each week off, we’ll be looking at the films releasing over the weekend that have the best chance of getting Oscar nominations and specifying the categories where we think they have the best chance at this stage of the game. Please let us know if you like our new feature or if you want to see more information and we’ll see what we can do!

This Year: Potential Oscar Nominees Releasing This Weekend

Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax (Wide)

Oscar Potential: Best Animated Feature.

Being Flynn (Limited)

Oscar Potential: Best Supporting Actor (Robert De Niro), Best Original Screenplay.

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Mar. 2-4, 2007

Weekend Box Office:

6. Norbit – $6,398,696 ($82,905,396 total) {week 4}
16. Pan’s Labyrinth – $1,194,796 ($34,224,074 total) {week 10}
17. The Last King of Scotland – $961,122 ($15,295,804 total) {week 23}
18. The Queen – $910,504 ($54,260,831 total) {week 23}
19. The Lives of Others – $781,095 ($2,320,756 total) {week 4}
21. Dreamgirls – $579,467 ($102,101,341 total) {week 12}
23. Happy Feet – $466,309 ($194,776,258 total) {week 16}
24. Notes on a Scandal – $296,690 ($16,748,003 total) {week 10}
25. Letters from Iwo Jima – $252,345 ($13,328,600 total) {week 11}
27. The Departed – $238,491 ($132,141,905 total) {week 22}
31. Blood Diamond – $180,530 ($56,510,832 total) {week 13}
32. Volver – $176,949 ($12,317,354 total) {week 18}
33. Babel – $174,612 ($34,109,548 total) {week 19}
36. Venus – $136,875 ($3,075,855 total) {week 11}
37. Children of Men – $133,650 ($35,136,703 total) {week 10}
39. The Pursuit of Happyness – $125,000 ($162,800,000 total) {week 12}
48. Little Children – $69,370 ($5,217,297 total) {week 22}
53. Days of Glory – $50,798 ($179,111 total) {week 13}
60. Borat – $19,545 ($128,484,257 total) {week 18}
61. The 2006 Academy Award Nominated Short Films – $18,857 ($284,248 total) {week 3}
62. The Good Shepherd – $16,555 ($59,901,040 total) {week 11}
65. Little Miss Sunshine – $14,934 ($59,856,872 total) {week 32}
66. Apocalypto – $14,593 ($50,859,889 total) {week 13}
74. The Good German – $10,124 ($1,194,138 total) {week 12}
89. The Curse of the Golden Flower – $3,226 ($6,533,954 total) {week 11}
95. Iraq in Fragments – $2,214 ($142,911 total) {week 17}

Oscar Details:

• The 2006 Academy Award Nominated Short Films: Animated Short Film; Live Action Short Film
• Apocalypto: Makeup, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing
• Babel: Picture, Supporting Actress (Adriana Barraza, Rinko Kikuchi), Director, Original Screenplay, Original Score [O], Editing
• Blood Diamond: Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio), Supporting Actor (Djimon Hounsou), Editing, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing
• Borat: Adapted Screenplay
• Children of Men: Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Cinematography
• The Curse of the Golden Flower: Costume Design
• Days of Glory: Foreign Language Film
• The Departed: Picture [O], Director [O], Supporting Actor (Mark Wahlberg), Adapted Screenplay [O], Editing
• Dreamgirls: Supporting Actor (Eddie Murphy), Supporting Actress (Jennifer Hudson) [O], Original Song (“Listen”, “Love You I Do”, “Patience”), Art Direction, Costume Design, Sound [O]
• The Good German: Original Score
• The Good Shepherd: Art Direction
• Happy Feet: Animated Feature [O]
• Iraq in Fragments: Documentary Feature
• The Last King of Scotland: Actor (Forest Whitaker [O])
• Letters from Iwo Jima: Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Sound Editing [O]
• Little Children: Actress (Kate Winslet), Supporting Actor (Jackie Earle Haley), Adapted Screenplay
• Little Miss Sunshine: Picture, Supporting Actor (Alan Arkin [O]), Supporting Actress (Abigail Breslin), Original Screenplay [O]
• The Lives of Others: Foreign Language Film
• Norbit: Makeup
• Notes on a Scandal: Actress (Judi Dench), Supporting Actress (Cate Blanchett), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score
• Pan’s Labyrinth: Original Screenplay, Original Score, Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Makeup [O], Foreign Language Film
• The Pursuit of Happyness: Actor (Will Smith)
• The Queen: Picture, Director, Actress (Helen Mirren [O]), Original Screenplay, Original Score, Costume Design
• Venus: Actor (Peter O’Toole)
• Volver: Actress (Penelope Cruz)

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Mar. 1-3, 2002

Weekend Box Office:

8. A Beautiful Mind – $4,648,985 ($138,929,921 total) {week 11}
10. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – $3,318,231 ($287,573,505 total) {week 11}
13. Black Hawn Down – $2,304,992 ($104,678,367 total) {week 10}
16. Gosford Park – $1,907,299 ($31,001,877 total) {week 10}
18. In the Bedroom – $1,708,871 ($28,635,933 total) {week 15}
19. I Am Sam – $1,529,214 ($35,390,117 total) {week 10}
23. Amelie – $634,697 ($27,900,057 total) {week 18}
24. Iris – $580,777 ($1,667,573 total) {week 12}
30. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – $231,413 ($314,964,965 total) {week 16}
37. Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius – $139,738 ($79,980,134 total) {week 11}
38. Monster’s Ball – $134,032 ($252,338,340 total) {week 18}
38. Monsters, Inc. – $134,032 ($252,338,340 total) {week 18}
49. Mulholland Drive – $50,625 ($6,945,418 total) {week 21}
51. No Man’s Land – $38,247 ($701,060 total) {week 13}
61. Moulin Rouge! – $19,935 ($57,252,137 total) {week 41}

Oscar Details:

• Amelie: Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Art Direction, Sound, Foreign Language Film
• A Beautiful Mind: Picture [O], Director [O], Actor (Russell Crowe), Supporting Actress (Jennifer Connelly) [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing, Makeup
• Black Hawn Down: Director, Editing [O], Cinematography, Sound [O]
• Gosford Park: Picture, Director, Supporting Actress (Helen Mirren, Maggie Smith), Original Screenplay [O], Art Direction, Costume Design
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: Original Score, Art Direction, Costume Design
• I Am Sam: Actor (Sean Penn)
• In the Bedroom: Picture, Actor (Tom Wilkinson), Actress (Sissy Spacek), Supporting Actress (Marisa Tomei), Adapted Screenplay
• Iris: Actress (Judi Dench), Supporting Actor (Jim Broadbent) [O], Supporting Actress (Kate Winslet)
• Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius: Animated Feature
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Ian McKellen), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score [O], Original Song (“May It Be”), Editing, Cinematography [O], Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup [O], Sound, Visual Effects [O]
• Monster’s Ball: Actress (Halle Berry) [O], Original Screenplay
• Monsters, Inc.: Animated Feature, Original Song (If I Didn’t Have You [O]), Original Score, Sound Editing
• Moulin Rouge!: Picture, Actress (Nicole Kidman), Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Makeup, Sound
• Mulholland Drive: Director
• No Man’s Land: Foreign Language Film

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Feb. 28-Mar. 2, 1997

Weekend Box Office:

2. Donnie Brasco – $11,660,216 ($11,660,216 total) {week 1}
9. Marvin’s Room – $3,250,409 ($5,380,309 total) {week 4}
11. Jerry Maguire – $2,581,293 ($135,106,602 total) {week 12}
13. The English Patient – $2,228,209 ($54,745,722 total) {week 16}
14. Shine – $2,182,618 ($26,066,924 total) {week 15}
17. Sling Blade – $880,872 ($3,209,479 total) {week 7}
19. Evita – $757,665 ($47,470,268 total) {week 10}
20. Secrets & Lies – $539,483 ($9,666,656 total) {week 8}

Oscar Details:

• Donnie Brasco: Adapted Screenplay
• The English Patient: Picture [O], Director [O], Actor (Ralph Fiennes), Actress (Kristin Scott Thomas), Supporting Actress (Juliette Binoche [O]), Adapted Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score [O], Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Sound [O]
• Evita: Original Song (“You Must Love Me”) [O], Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction, Sound
• Jerry Maguire: Picture, Actor (Tom Cruise), Supporting Actor (Cuba Gooding Jr.) [O], Original Screenplay, Film Editing
• Marvin’s Room: Actress (Diane Keaton)
• Secrets & Lies: Picture, Director, Actress (Brenda Blethyn), Supporting Actress (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), Original Screenplay
• Shine: Picture, Director, Actor (Geoffrey Rush) [O], Supporting Actor (Armin Mueller-Stahl), Original Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score, Editing
• Sling Blade: Actor (Billy Bob Thornton), Adapted Screenplay [O]

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Feb. 28-Mar. 1, 1992

Weekend Box Office:

4. Fried Green Tomatoes – $4,359,130 ($47,032,199 total) {week 10}
8. Beauty and the Beast – $2,124,074 ($116,028,522 total) {week 16}
10. The Prince of Tides – $1,455,638 ($66,322,990 total) {week 10}
11. Bugsy – $1,370,330 ($44,429,717 total) {week 12}
12. JFK – $1,254,906 ($64,930,280 total) {week 11}
999. Hook – $639,910 ($114,512,828 total) {week 12}
999. The Mambo Kings – $319,793 ($319,793 total) {week 1}

Oscar Details:

• Beauty and the Beast: Picture, Original Score [O], Original Song (“Be Our Guest”, “Beauty and the Beast” [O], “Belle”), Sound
• Bugsy: Picture, Director, Actor (Warren Beatty), Supporting Actor (Harvey Keitel, Ben Kingsley), Original Screenplay, Original Score, Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O]
• Fried Green Tomatoes: Supporting Actress (Jessica Tandy), Adapted Screenplay
• Hook: Original Song (“When You’re Alone”), Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup, Visual Effects
• JFK: Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Tommy Lee Jones), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Sound
• The Mambo Kings: Original Song (“Beautiful Maria of My Soul”)
• The Prince of Tides: Picture, Actor (Nick Nolte), Supporting Actress (Kate Nelligan), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, Cinematography, Art Direction

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Feb. 27-Mar. 1, 1987

Weekend Box Office:

2. Platoon – $7,153,244 ($75,918,222 total) {week 11}
4. Mannequin – $4,095,599 ($17,183,904 total) {week 3}
5. Hoosiers – $3,653,562 (Unknown total) {week 5}
9. Crocodile Dundee – $1,747,675 ($151,755,010 total) {week 23}
10. Radio Days – $1,317,628 ($8,773,897 total) {week 5}

Oscar Details:

• Crocodile Dundee: Original Screenplay
• Hoosiers: Supporting Actor (Dennis Hopper), Original Score
• Mannequin: Original Song (“Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”)
• Platoon: Picture [O], Director [O], Supporting Actor (Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe), Original Screenplay, Editing [O], Cinematography, Sound [O]
• Radio Days: Original Screenplay, Art Direction

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Feb. 26-28, 1982

Weekend Box Office:

1. On Golden Pond – $5,602,328 ($47,793,214 total) {week 13}
4. Chariots of Fire – $1,636,721 ($14,785,000 total) {week 16}
5. Raiders of the Lost Ark – $1,410,000 ($192,999,474 total) {week 17}
6. Arthur – $933,000 ($85,843,513 total) {week 12}
7. Absence of Malice – $927,000 ($37,405,294 total) {week 15}

Oscar Details:

• Absence of Malice: Actor (Paul Newman), Supporting Actress (Melinda Dillon), Original Screenplay
• Arthur: Actor (Dudley Moore), Supporting Actor (John Gielgud) [O], Original Screenplay, Original Song (“Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)”) [O]
• Chariots of Fire: Picture [O], Director, Supporting Actor (Ian Holm), Original Screenplay [O], Original Score [O], Editing, Costume Design [O]
• On Golden Pond: Picture, Director, Actor (Henry Fonda) [O], Actress (Katharine Hepburn) [O], Supporting Actress (Jane Fonda), Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing, Cinematography, Sound
• Raiders of the Lost Ark: Picture, Director, Original Score, Editing [O], Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Sound [O], Sound Effects Editing [O], Visual Effects [O]