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

Maleficent (Wide)

Oscar Potential: Original Score, Production Design, Costume Design, Makeup & Hairstyling, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 29-31, 2009

Weekend Box Office:

1. Up – $68,108,790 ($68,108,790 total) {week 1}
5. Star Trek – $12,613,727 ($209,313,884 total) {week 4}
33. Departures – $74,945 ($74,945 total) {week 1}
50. Paris 36 – $20,059 ($812,429 total) {week 9}
54. Coraline – $17,886 ($75,195,256 total) {week 17}
63. Il Divo – $10,226 ($146,077 total) {week 6}
65. Revanche – $8,886 ($99,838 total) {week 5}
67. Burma VJ – $6,528 ($18,454 total) {week 2}
82. The Class – $2,536 ($3,764,141 total) {week 24}
89. Katyn – $1,775 ($118,095 total) {week 15}
96. 12 – $1,086 ($121,234 total) {week 13}
98. The Garden – $975 ($26,012 total) {week 6}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Up – $73,829,928 ($73,829,928 total)
5. Star Trek – $13,673,280 ($226,896,250 total)
33. Departures – $81,240 ($81,240 total)
50. Paris 36 – $21,744 ($880,673 total)
54. Coraline – $19,388 ($81,511,658 total)
63. Il Divo – $11,085 ($158,347 total)
65. Revanche – $9,632 ($108,224 total)
67. Burma VJ – $7,076 ($20,004 total)
82. The Class – $2,749 ($4,080,329 total)
89. Katyn – $1,924 ($128,015 total)
96. 12 – $1,177 ($131,418 total)
98. The Garden – $1,057 ($28,197 total)

Oscar Details:

• 12: Foreign Language Film
• Burma VJ: Documentary Feature
• The Class: Foreign Language Film
• Coraline: Animated Feature
• Departures: Foreign Language Film [O]
• Il Divo: Makeup
• The Garden: Documentary Feature
• Katyn: Foreign Language Film
• Paris 36: Original Song (“Loin de Paname”)
• Revanche: Foreign Language Film
• Star Trek: Makeup [O], Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects
• Up: Picture, Animated Feature [O], Original Screenplay, Original Score [O], Sound Editing

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 28-30, 2004

Weekend Box Office:

1. Shrek 2 – $72,170,363 ($236,905,717 total) {week 2}
3. Troy – $11,955,697 ($106,604,464 total) {week 3}
9. Super Size Me – $1,081,968 ($4,614,912 total) {week 4}
20. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – $271,109 ($33,387,931 total) {week 11}
26. The Passion of the Christ – $163,395 ($369,664,388 total) {week 14}
39. Cold Mountain – $66,788 ($95,442,585 total) {week 23}
53. My Architect – $56,187 ($2,635,113 total) {week 29}
58. The Twilight Samurai – $47,323 ($217,543 total) {week 6}
72. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – $25,304 ($377,013,073 total) {week 24}
84. The Triplets of Belleville – $13,468 ($6,950,738 total) {week 27}
101. City of God – $5,079 ($7,537,802 total) {week 72}
116. Monster – $4,169 ($34,467,401 total) {week 23}
127. In America – $2,543 ($15,536,176 total) {week 27}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Shrek 2 – $182,786,620 ($600,013,545 total)
3. Troy – $30,280,317 ($269,998,222 total)
9. Super Size Me – $2,740,311 ($11,688,235 total)
20. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – $686,641 ($84,561,956 total)
26. The Passion of the Christ – $413,832 ($936,252,796 total)
39. Cold Mountain – $169,155 ($241,728,416 total)
53. My Architect – $142,305 ($6,673,978 total)
58. The Twilight Samurai – $119,855 ($550,973 total)
72. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – $64,088 ($954,864,886 total)
84. The Triplets of Belleville – $34,111 ($17,604,206 total)
101. City of God – $12,864 ($19,091,069 total)
116. Monster – $10,559 ($87,295,941 total)
127. In America – $6,441 ($39,348,633 total)

Oscar Details:

• City of God: Director, Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Cinematography
• Cold Mountain: Actor (Jude Law), Supporting Actress (Renee Zellweger) [O], Original Song (“Scarlet Tide”), Original Song (“You Will Be My Ain True Love”), Original Score, Editing, Cinematography
• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Actress (Kate Winslet), Original Screenplay [O]
• In America: Actress (Samantha Morton), Supporting Actor (Djimon Hounsou), Original Screenplay
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King: Picture [O], Director [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Song (“Into the West”) [O], Original Score [O], Editing [O], Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Makeup [O], Sound Mixing [O], Visual Effects [O]
• Monster: Actress (Charlize Theron) [O]
• My Architect: Documentary Feature
• The Passion of the Christ : Original Score, Cinematography, Makeup
• Shrek 2: Animated Feature, Original Song (“Accidentally in Love”)
• Super Size Me : Documentary Feature
• The Triplets of Belleville: Animated Feature, Original Song (“Belleville Rendez-vous”)
• Troy: Costume Design
• The Twilight Samurai: Foreign Language Film

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 28-30, 1999

Weekend Box Office:

1. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace – $51,399,863 ($191,594,623 total) {week 2}
3. The Mummy – $9,947,350 ($114,332,980 total) {week 4}
6. The Matrix – $2,899,495 ($153,834,045 total) {week 9}
11. Election – $1,358,597 ($11,079,471 total) {week 6}
12. Life – $1,353,610 ($59,412,909 total) {week 7}
15. Shakespeare in Love – $544,060 ($96,772,694 total) {week 25}
20. Life Is Beautiful – $354,616 ($56,365,226 total) {week 32}
58. Patch Adams – $20,220 ($135,008,223 total) {week 23}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace – $82,260,017 ($306,626,828 total)
3. The Mummy – $15,919,676 ($182,977,781 total)
6. The Matrix – $4,640,334 ($246,195,037 total)
11. Election – $2,174,290 ($17,731,516 total)
12. Life – $2,166,309 ($95,084,045 total)
15. Shakespeare in Love – $870,710 ($154,874,410 total)
20. Life Is Beautiful – $567,525 ($90,206,553 total)
58. Patch Adams – $32,360 ($216,066,310 total)

Oscar Details:

• Election: Adapted Screenplay
• Life: Makeup
• Life Is Beautiful: Picture, Director, Actor (Roberto Benigni) [O], Original Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score [O], Editing, Foreign Language Film [O]
• The Matrix : Editing [O], Sound [O], Sound Effects [O], Visual Effects [O]
• The Mummy : Sound
• Patch Adams: Original Musical or Comedy Score
• Shakespeare in Love: Picture [O], Director, Actress (Gwyneth Paltrow) [O], Supporting Actor (Geoffrey Rush), Supporting Actress (Judi Dench) [O], Original Screenplay [O], Original Musical or Comedy Score [O], Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Makeup, Sound
• Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace: Sound, Sound Effects, Visual Effects

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 3-5, 1994

Weekend Box Office:

2. Maverick – $10,025,483 ($55,542,384 total) {week 3}
8. Four Weddings and a Funeral – $1,534,988 ($42,932,196 total) {week 13}
999. Schindler’s List – $273,540 ($93,286,928 total) {week 25}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. Maverick – $19,499,325 ($108,028,608 total)
8. Four Weddings and a Funeral – $2,985,515 ($83,502,094 total)
999. Schindler’s List – $532,029 ($181,440,843 total)

Oscar Details:

• Four Weddings and a Funeral: Picture, Original Screenplay
• Maverick: Costume Design
• Schindler’s List: Picture [O], Director [O], Actor (Liam Neeson), Supporting Actor (Ralph Fiennes), Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score [O], Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Costume Design, Makeup, Sound

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 2-4, 1989

Weekend Box Office:

1. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – $21,230,164 ($77,141,769 total) {week 2}
4. Field of Dreams – $3,740,000 ($35,596,036 total) {week 7}
11. Rain Man – $745,914 ($166,310,320 total) {week 25}
999. The Adventures of Baron Munchaussen – $166,370 ($7,322,164 total) {week 13}
999. Dead Poets Society – $340,456 ($340,456 total) {week 1}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – $43,476,381 ($157,975,461 total)
4. Field of Dreams – $7,658,992 ($72,895,661 total)
11. Rain Man – $1,527,527 ($340,580,076 total)
999. The Adventures of Baron Munchaussen – $340,702 ($14,994,759 total)
999. Dead Poets Society – $697,206 ($697,206 total)

Oscar Details:

• The Adventures of Baron Munchaussen : Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup, Visual Effects
• Dead Poets Society: Picture, Director, Actor (Robin Williams), Original Screenplay [O]
• Field of Dreams: Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Original Score
• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: Original Score, Sound, Sound Effects [O]
• Rain Man: Picture [O], Director [O], Actor (Dustin Hoffman) [O], Original Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 1-3, 1984

Weekend Box Office:

2. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – $16,386,295 ($68,124,122 total) {week 2}
3. The Natural – $3,424,331 ($26,337,412 total) {week 4}
7. Romancing the Stone – $2,262,713 ($57,271,191 total) {week 10}
10. Footloose – $1,066,786 ($73,450,748 total) {week 16}
11. Splash – $972,669 ($62,145,046 total) {week 13}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – $39,648,982 ($164,836,045 total)
3. The Natural – $8,285,658 ($63,727,131 total)
7. Romancing the Stone – $5,474,957 ($138,575,828 total)
10. Footloose – $2,581,241 ($177,724,578 total)
11. Splash – $2,353,512 ($150,368,817 total)

Oscar Details:

• Footloose: Original Song (“Footloose”, “Let’s Hear It for the Boy”)
• Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: Original Score, Visual Effects [O]
• The Natural : Supporting Actress (Glenn Close), Original Score, Cinematography, Art Direction
• Romancing the Stone: Editing
• Splash: Original Screenplay