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

How to Train Your Dragon 2 (Wide)

Oscar Potential: Animated Feature.

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 12-14, 2009

Weekend Box Office:

2. Up – $30,762,280 ($187,425,989 total) {week 3}
7. Star Trek – $5,454,563 ($231,882,965 total) {week 6}
30. Departures – $95,514 ($325,520 total) {week 3}
35. Food, Inc. – $60,513 ($60,513 total) {week 1}
56. Revanche – $18,239 ($157,685 total) {week 7}
72. Coraline – $10,103 ($75,239,621 total) {week 19}
78. Il Divo – $6,086 ($173,185 total) {week 8}
83. Paris 36 – $4,511 ($843,936 total) {week 11}
100. Burma VJ – $1,500 ($31,450 total) {week 4}
111. 12 – $557 ($123,627 total) {week 15}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. Up – $33,346,312 ($203,169,772 total)
7. Star Trek – $5,912,746 ($251,361,134 total)
30. Departures – $103,537 ($352,864 total)
35. Food, Inc. – $65,596 ($65,596 total)
56. Revanche – $19,771 ($170,931 total)
72. Coraline – $10,952 ($81,559,749 total)
78. Il Divo – $6,597 ($187,733 total)
83. Paris 36 – $4,890 ($914,827 total)
100. Burma VJ – $1,626 ($34,092 total)
111. 12 – $604 ($134,012 total)

Oscar Details:

• 12: Foreign Language Film
• Burma VJ: Documentary Feature
• Coraline: Animated Feature
• Departures: Foreign Language Film [O]
• Il Divo: Makeup
• Food, Inc.: Documentary Feature
• 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 Jun. 11-13, 2004

Weekend Box Office:

1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – $34,910,393 ($157,975,042 total) {week 2}
3. Shrek 2 – $23,316,920 ($353,333,317 total) {week 4}
8. Troy – $3,417,016 ($125,604,418 total) {week 5}
13. Super Size Me – $820,686 ($7,533,912 total) {week 6}
27. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – $119,120 ($33,971,672 total) {week 13}
39. The Passion of the Christ – $63,467 ($370,025,697 total) {week 16}
54. Story of the Weeping Camel – $38,792 ($72,926 total) {week 2}
57. Cold Mountain – $28,389 ($95,589,607 total) {week 25}
59. The Twilight Samurai – $26,109 ($321,168 total) {week 8}
75. My Architect – $15,297 ($2,699,982 total) {week 31}
91. City of God – $5,445 ($7,558,260 total) {week 74}
105. The Triplets of Belleville – $3,020 ($6,975,689 total) {week 29}
122. The Weather Underground – $750 ($564,632 total) {week 54}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – $88,417,911 ($400,105,013 total)
3. Shrek 2 – $59,055,003 ($894,890,924 total)
8. Troy – $8,654,312 ($318,119,601 total)
13. Super Size Me – $2,078,560 ($19,081,216 total)
27. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – $301,696 ($86,040,403 total)
39. The Passion of the Christ – $160,744 ($937,167,887 total)
54. Story of the Weeping Camel – $98,249 ($184,700 total)
57. Cold Mountain – $71,901 ($242,100,780 total)
59. The Twilight Samurai – $66,127 ($813,425 total)
75. My Architect – $38,743 ($6,838,272 total)
91. City of God – $13,791 ($19,142,883 total)
105. The Triplets of Belleville – $7,649 ($17,667,399 total)
122. The Weather Underground – $1,900 ($1,430,049 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]
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Original Score, Visual Effects
• My Architect: Documentary Feature
• The Passion of the Christ : Original Score, Cinematography, Makeup
• Shrek 2: Animated Feature, Original Song (“Accidentally in Love”)
• Story of the Weeping Camel : Documentary Feature
• 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
• The Weather Underground: Documentary Feature

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 11-13, 1999

Weekend Box Office:

1. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me – $54,917,604 ($57,442,682 total) {week 1}
2. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace – $25,632,861 ($296,964,911 total) {week 4}
5. The Mummy – $5,483,460 ($136,213,325 total) {week 6}
7. The Matrix – $2,069,930 ($161,567,685 total) {week 11}
12. Election – $602,448 ($13,248,614 total) {week 8}
13. Life – $569,815 ($61,554,344 total) {week 9}
26. Shakespeare in Love – $196,617 ($97,496,951 total) {week 27}
31. Life Is Beautiful – $137,951 ($56,954,125 total) {week 34}
34. Buena Vista Social Club – $132,502 ($338,285 total) {week 2}
41. The Red Violin – $87,133 ($2,370,235 total) {week 22}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me – $87,889,788 ($91,930,906 total)
2. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace – $41,022,669 ($475,260,773 total)
5. The Mummy – $8,775,695 ($217,994,947 total)
7. The Matrix – $3,312,703 ($258,571,905 total)
12. Election – $964,154 ($21,202,998 total)
13. Life – $911,928 ($98,511,184 total)
26. Shakespeare in Love – $314,665 ($156,033,506 total)
31. Life Is Beautiful – $220,776 ($91,149,023 total)
34. Buena Vista Social Club – $212,055 ($541,389 total)
41. The Red Violin – $139,447 ($3,793,309 total)

Oscar Details:

• Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me: Makeup
• Buena Vista Social Club: Documentary Feature
• 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
• The Red Violin : Original Score [O]
• 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. 17-19, 1994

Weekend Box Office:

2. Speed – $12,940,034 ($35,685,508 total) {week 2}
6. Maverick – $4,822,445 ($74,132,631 total) {week 5}
10. The Lion King – $1,586,753 ($2,209,030 total) {week 1}
999. Schindler’s List – $125,980 ($93,910,028 total) {week 27}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. Speed – $25,168,057 ($69,407,459 total)
6. Maverick – $9,379,540 ($144,186,194 total)
10. The Lion King – $3,086,197 ($4,296,511 total)
999. Schindler’s List – $245,028 ($182,652,758 total)

Oscar Details:

• The Lion King : Original Song (“Can You Feel the Love Tonight” [O], “Circle of Life”, “Hakuna Matata”), Original Score [O]
• 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
• Speed: Editing, Sound [O], Sound Effects [O]

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 16-18, 1989

Weekend Box Office:

2. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – $11,724,730 ($122,378,936 total) {week 4}
3. Dead Poets Society – $9,102,459 ($22,464,763 total) {week 3}
6. Field of Dreams – $2,439,417 ($44,215,258 total) {week 9}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – $24,010,593 ($250,614,798 total)
3. Dead Poets Society – $18,640,552 ($46,004,666 total)
6. Field of Dreams – $4,995,582 ($90,546,611 total)

Oscar Details:

• 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]

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 15-17, 1984

Weekend Box Office:

1. Ghostbusters – $15,093,905 ($38,261,242 total) {week 2}
3. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – $9,116,347 ($103,487,041 total) {week 4}
6. The Natural – $2,502,952 ($33,645,465 total) {week 6}
7. Romancing the Stone – $1,688,123 ($62,258,588 total) {week 12}
10. Footloose – $743,987 ($75,846,770 total) {week 18}
999. Under the Volcano – $31,000 ($31,000 total) {week 1}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Ghostbusters – $36,521,859 ($92,578,541 total)
3. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – $22,058,304 ($250,401,680 total)
6. The Natural – $6,056,250 ($81,410,009 total)
7. Romancing the Stone – $4,084,655 ($150,643,548 total)
10. Footloose – $1,800,183 ($183,522,095 total)
999. Under the Volcano – $75,009 ($75,009 total)

Oscar Details:

• Footloose: Original Song (“Footloose”, “Let’s Hear It for the Boy”)
• Ghostbusters: Original Song (“Ghostbusters”), Visual Effects
• 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
• Under the Volcano: