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

Life Itself (Limited)

Oscar Potential: Documentary Feature.

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jul. 3-5, 2009

Weekend Box Office:

1. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – $42,320,877 ($293,355,885 total) {week 2}
6. Up – $6,521,389 ($264,816,694 total) {week 6}
11. Star Trek – $1,769,967 ($249,838,139 total) {week 9}
24. Food, Inc. – $251,684 ($1,286,693 total) {week 4}
28. The Hurt Locker – $131,202 ($370,123 total) {week 2}
37. Departures – $69,905 ($734,793 total) {week 6}
76. Il Divo – $3,178 ($199,423 total) {week 11}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – $45,875,831 ($317,997,779 total)
6. Up – $7,069,186 ($287,061,296 total)
11. Star Trek – $1,918,644 ($270,824,543 total)
24. Food, Inc. – $272,825 ($1,394,775 total)
28. The Hurt Locker – $142,223 ($401,213 total)
37. Departures – $75,777 ($796,516 total)
76. Il Divo – $3,445 ($216,175 total)

Oscar Details:

• Departures: Foreign Language Film [O]
• Il Divo: Makeup
• Food, Inc.: Documentary Feature
• The Hurt Locker: Picture [O], Director [O], Actor (Jeremy Renner), Original Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing [O], Cinematography, Sound Mixing [O], Sound Editing [O]
• Star Trek: Makeup [O], Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Sound Mixing
• Up: Picture, Animated Feature [O], Original Screenplay, Original Score [O], Sound Editing

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jul. 2-4, 2004

Weekend Box Office:

1. Spider-Man 2 – $88,156,227 ($152,411,751 total) {week 1}
7. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – $5,938,474 ($223,117,013 total) {week 5}
8. Shrek 2 – $5,838,371 ($408,139,196 total) {week 7}
17. Troy – $371,932 ($131,682,210 total) {week 8}
20. Before Sunset – $219,425 ($219,425 total) {week 1}
21. Super Size Me – $215,884 ($9,961,144 total) {week 9}
31. Story of the Weeping Camel – $86,283 ($491,766 total) {week 5}
56. The Passion of the Christ – $14,206 ($370,197,857 total) {week 19}
67. The Twilight Samurai – $11,526 ($407,231 total) {week 11}
78. The Triplets of Belleville – $4,357 ($6,998,643 total) {week 32}
103. My Architect – $1,509 ($2,736,591 total) {week 34}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Spider-Man 2 – $223,274,182 ($386,014,809 total)
7. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – $15,040,434 ($565,090,753 total)
8. Shrek 2 – $14,786,902 ($1,033,698,338 total)
17. Troy – $941,996 ($333,512,887 total)
20. Before Sunset – $555,740 ($555,740 total)
21. Super Size Me – $546,772 ($25,228,692 total)
31. Story of the Weeping Camel – $218,530 ($1,245,501 total)
56. The Passion of the Christ – $35,980 ($937,603,918 total)
67. The Twilight Samurai – $29,192 ($1,031,398 total)
78. The Triplets of Belleville – $11,035 ($17,725,535 total)
103. My Architect – $3,822 ($6,930,992 total)

Oscar Details:

• Before Sunset: Adapted Screenplay
• 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”)
• Spider-Man 2: Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects [O]
• 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

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jul. 2-4, 1999

Weekend Box Office:

3. Tarzan – $13,914,914 ($111,097,897 total) {week 3}
4. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut – $11,335,889 ($19,637,409 total) {week 1}
6. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace – $9,540,382 ($369,415,693 total) {week 7}
7. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me – $8,956,912 ($172,045,630 total) {week 4}
11. The Mummy – $917,600 ($147,918,655 total) {week 9}
12. The Red Violin – $882,894 ($4,552,900 total) {week 25}
14. Shakespeare in Love – $582,774 ($98,665,820 total) {week 30}
16. The Matrix – $475,602 ($166,652,219 total) {week 14}
20. Buena Vista Social Club – $284,516 ($1,524,432 total) {week 5}
28. Life – $142,115 ($62,840,929 total) {week 12}
34. Election – $89,239 ($14,355,429 total) {week 11}
999. Genghis Blues – $6,524 ($8,155 total) {week 1}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

3. Tarzan – $22,269,341 ($177,800,375 total)
4. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut – $18,141,885 ($31,427,586 total)
6. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace – $15,268,367 ($591,210,548 total)
7. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me – $14,334,586 ($275,340,743 total)
11. The Mummy – $1,468,521 ($236,728,084 total)
12. The Red Violin – $1,412,978 ($7,286,432 total)
14. Shakespeare in Love – $932,668 ($157,904,157 total)
16. The Matrix – $761,150 ($266,709,162 total)
20. Buena Vista Social Club – $455,338 ($2,439,691 total)
28. Life – $227,440 ($100,570,227 total)
34. Election – $142,818 ($22,974,338 total)
999. Genghis Blues – $10,441 ($13,051 total)

Oscar Details:

• Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me: Makeup
• Buena Vista Social Club: Documentary Feature
• Election: Adapted Screenplay
• Genghis Blues: Documentary Feature
• Life: Makeup
• 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
• South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut: Original Song (“Blame Canada”)
• Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace: Sound, Sound Effects, Visual Effects
• Tarzan: Original Song (“You’ll Be In My Heart”)

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jul. 8-10, 1994

Weekend Box Office:

1. Forrest Gump – $24,450,602 ($24,450,602 total) {week 1}
2. The Lion King – $24,425,513 ($143,426,906 total) {week 4}
3. Speed – $7,658,679 ($84,576,403 total) {week 5}
9. Wyatt Earp – $2,815,516 ($19,653,310 total) {week 3}
12. Maverick – $1,753,894 ($87,404,789 total) {week 8}
999. A Place in the World – $9,970 ($9,970 total) {week 1}
999. Schindler’s List – $219,555 ($95,494,598 total) {week 30}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Forrest Gump – $47,555,836 ($47,555,836 total)
2. The Lion King – $47,507,038 ($278,961,901 total)
3. Speed – $14,895,947 ($164,499,080 total)
9. Wyatt Earp – $5,476,111 ($38,225,218 total)
12. Maverick – $3,411,282 ($170,000,224 total)
999. A Place in the World – $19,391 ($19,391 total)
999. Schindler’s List – $427,029 ($185,734,709 total)

Oscar Details:

• Forrest Gump: Picture [O], Director [O], Actor (Tom Hanks) [O], Supporting Actor (Gary Sinise), Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing [O], Cinematography, Art Direction, Makeup, Sound, Sound Effects, Visual Effects [O]
• The Lion King : Original Song (“Can You Feel the Love Tonight” [O], “Circle of Life”, “Hakuna Matata”), Original Score [O]
• Maverick: Costume Design
• A Place in the World: Foreign Language Film (Disqualified)
• 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]
• Wyatt Earp: Cinematography

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jul. 7-9, 1989

Weekend Box Office:

1. Lethal Weapon 2 – $20,388,800 ($20,388,800 total) {week 1}
2. Batman – $19,248,329 ($141,659,121 total) {week 3}
5. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – $5,205,338 ($158,469,476 total) {week 7}
6. Dead Poets Society – $5,186,264 ($56,765,388 total) {week 6}
9. Do the Right Thing – $2,916,960 ($8,848,045 total) {week 2}
12. Field of Dreams – $1,304,875 ($53,388,955 total) {week 12}
999. The Music Teacher – $18,486 ($18,486 total) {week 1}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Lethal Weapon 2 – $41,753,386 ($41,753,386 total)
2. Batman – $39,417,863 ($290,097,898 total)
5. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – $10,659,798 ($324,523,133 total)
6. Dead Poets Society – $10,620,737 ($116,247,507 total)
9. Do the Right Thing – $5,973,523 ($18,119,548 total)
12. Field of Dreams – $2,672,200 ($109,333,049 total)
999. The Music Teacher – $37,857 ($37,857 total)

Oscar Details:

• Batman: Art Direction [O]
• Dead Poets Society: Picture, Director, Actor (Robin Williams), Original Screenplay [O]
• Do the Right Thing: Supporting Actor (Danny Aiello), Original Screenplay
• Field of Dreams: Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Original Score
• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: Original Score, Sound, Sound Effects [O]
• Lethal Weapon 2: Sound Effects
• The Music Teacher: Foreign Language Film

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jul. 6-8, 1984

Weekend Box Office:

1. Ghostbusters – $11,136,134 ($99,651,245 total) {week 5}
4. The Karate Kid – $5,294,234 ($21,197,972 total) {week 3}
6. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – $5,106,489 ($134,941,133 total) {week 7}
11. The Natural – $1,576,403 ($41,135,310 total) {week 9}
12. Romancing the Stone – $1,113,711 ($68,566,697 total) {week 15}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Ghostbusters – $26,945,467 ($241,120,423 total)
4. The Karate Kid – $12,810,155 ($51,291,522 total)
6. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – $12,355,880 ($326,509,349 total)
11. The Natural – $3,814,332 ($99,532,759 total)
12. Romancing the Stone – $2,694,783 ($165,906,919 total)

Oscar Details:

• Ghostbusters: Original Song (“Ghostbusters”), Visual Effects
• Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: Original Score, Visual Effects [O]
• The Karate Kid : Supporting Actor (Noriyuki ‘Pat’ Morita)
• The Natural : Supporting Actress (Glenn Close), Original Score, Cinematography, Art Direction
• Romancing the Stone: Editing