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

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5 Years Ago: The Weekend of April 6-8, 2007

Weekend Box Office:

19. The Lives of Others – $590,779 ($7,427,381 total) {week 9}
31. Pan’s Labyrinth – $130,764 ($37,158,355 total) {week 15}
34. Dreamgirls – $115,990 ($103,192,980 total) {week 17}
36. Happy Feet – $111,559 ($197,756,995 total) {week 21}
37. Norbit – $104,419 ($94,772,025 total) {week 9}
43. The Queen – $72,478 ($56,222,759 total) {week 28}
44. The Last King of Scotland – $70,835 ($17,449,410 total) {week 28}
47. After the Wedding – $50,728 ($120,314 total) {week 2}
51. Letters from Iwo Jima – $37,487 ($13,704,488 total) {week 16}
58. Blood Diamond – $25,150 ($57,366,262 total) {week 18}
59. Notes on a Scandal – $24,136 ($17,436,676 total) {week 15}
60. Volver – $19,107 ($12,872,473 total) {week 23}
73. The Good German – $7,466 ($1,304,837 total) {week 17}
74. Venus – $7,385 ($3,343,528 total) {week 16}
75. Days of Glory – $7,094 ($301,434 total) {week 18}
76. Little Children – $6,951 ($5,459,824 total) {week 27}
95. The 2006 Academy Award Nominated Short Films – $2,669 ($320,003 total) {week 8}
109. Iraq in Fragments – $1,315 ($173,720 total) {week 22}

Oscar Details:

• The 2006 Academy Award Nominated Short Films: Animated Short Film; Live Action Short Film
• After the Wedding: Foreign Language Film
• Blood Diamond: Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio), Supporting Actor (Djimon Hounsou), Editing, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing
• Days of Glory: Foreign Language Film
• 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
• 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
• 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 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 April 5-7, 2002

Weekend Box Office:

3. Ice Age – $13,565,070 ($140,658,250 total) {week 4}
10. A Beautiful Mind – $2,592,030 ($164,988,611 total) {week 16}
12. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – $1,740,099 ($304,117,086 total) {week 16}
16. Monster’s Ball – $1,484,836 ($25,210,748 total) {week 15}
17. Y Tu Mama Tambien – $1,184,663 ($2,973,562 total) {week 4}
18. The Time Machine – $1,046,324 ($54,758,133 total) {week 5}
24. Gosford Park – $437,581 ($40,124,209 total) {week 15}
27. Amelie – $334,891 ($31,648,056 total) {week 23}
29. Iris – $260,652 ($4,914,992 total) {week 17}
30. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – $217,672 ($316,823,907 total) {week 21}
31. In the Bedroom – $191,461 ($35,486,803 total) {week 20}
35. I Am Sam – $149,090 ($40,124,566 total) {week 15}
45. Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius – $75,356 ($80,865,848 total) {week 16}
47. Black Hawn Down – $59,909 ($108,585,355 total) {week 15}
48. No Man’s Land – $49,827 ($948,054 total) {week 18}
50. Monsters, Inc. – $46,879 ($252,893,416 total) {week 23}
999. Mulholland Drive – $18,810 ($7,191,513 total) {week 26}

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)
• Ice Age: Animated Feature
• 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
• Mulholland Drive: Director
• No Man’s Land: Foreign Language Film [O]
• The Time Machine: Makeup
• Y Tu Mama Tambien: Original Screenplay

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of April 4-6, 1997

Weekend Box Office:

11. The English Patient – $2,029,724 ($71,058,188 total) {week 21}
14. Sling Blade – $1,522,436 ($18,260,734 total) {week 17}
15. Jerry Maguire – $1,244,495 ($147,251,273 total) {week 17}
999. Evita – $155,761 ($49,458,767 total) {week 15}

Oscar Details:

• 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
• Sling Blade: Actor (Billy Bob Thornton), Adapted Screenplay [O]

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of April 3-5, 1992

Weekend Box Office:

2. Basic Instinct – $10,115,406 ($49,116,146 total) {week 3}
7. My Cousin Vinny – $3,940,779 ($30,731,338 total) {week 4}
11. Beauty and the Beast – $1,965,717 ($128,136,098 total) {week 21}
12. Fried Green Tomatoes – $1,657,810 ($67,903,424 total) {week 15}
999. Hook – $307,824 ($116,761,154 total) {week 17}
999. Howards End – $46,112 ($306,934 total) {week 4}

Oscar Details:

• Basic Instinct: Original Score, Editing
• Beauty and the Beast: Picture, Original Score [O], Original Song (“Be Our Guest”, “Beauty and the Beast” [O], “Belle”), Sound
• Fried Green Tomatoes: Supporting Actress (Jessica Tandy), Adapted Screenplay
• Hook: Original Song (“When You’re Alone”), Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup, Visual Effects
• Howards End: Picture, Director, Actress (Emma Thompson) [O], Supporting Actress (Vanessa Redgrave), Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score, Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design
• My Cousin Vinny: Supporting Actress (Marisa Tomei) [O]

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of April 3-5, 1987

Weekend Box Office:

3. Platoon – $4,737,808 ($109,933,502 total) {week 16}
8. Hoosiers – $1,583,202 ($22,519,502 total) {week 15}
9. Mannequin – $1,348,296 ($31,443,949 total) {week 8}
12. Crocodile Dundee – $1,143,850 ($160,542,223 total) {week 28}

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]

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of April 2-4, 1982

Weekend Box Office:

3. On Golden Pond – $3,805,370 ($84,020,712 total) {week 18}
5. Chariots of Fire – $3,280,675 ($29,874,443 total) {week 27}
7. Victor/Victoria – $2,102,208 ($2,531,000 total) {week 3}
9. Quest for Fire – $1,994,565 ($11,825,911 total) {week 8}

Oscar Details:

• 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
• Quest for Fire: Makeup [O]
• Victor/Victoria: Actress (Julie Andrews), Supporting Actor (Robert Preston), Supporting Actress (Lesley Ann Warren), Adapted Screenplay, Original Song Score [O], Art Direction, Costume Design