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

None

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Sep. 4-6, 2009

Weekend Box Office:

2. Inglourious Basterds – $11,629,394 ($91,825,002 total) {week 3}
5. District 9 – $7,076,937 ($101,351,058 total) {week 4}
7. Julie & Julia – $5,324,583 ($78,964,977 total) {week 5}
19. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – $803,663 ($400,434,854 total) {week 11}
20. Up – $730,953 ($290,631,082 total) {week 15}
26. Star Trek – $329,668 ($257,094,634 total) {week 18}
28. The Hurt Locker – $263,755 ($11,990,523 total) {week 11}
37. In the Loop – $146,447 ($1,979,514 total) {week 7}
47. The Baader Meinhof Complex – $44,281 ($118,555 total) {week 3}
51. Food, Inc. – $38,602 ($4,174,118 total) {week 13}
53. The Cove – $31,894 ($677,840 total) {week 6}
61. Departures – $20,192 ($1,315,985 total) {week 15}
79. Il Divo – $4,431 ($227,441 total) {week 20}
999. Revanche – $1,818 ($257,397 total) {week 19}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. Inglourious Basterds – $12,606,263 ($99,538,302 total)
5. District 9 – $7,671,400 ($109,864,547 total)
7. Julie & Julia – $5,771,848 ($85,598,035 total)
19. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – $871,171 ($434,071,382 total)
20. Up – $792,353 ($315,044,093 total)
26. Star Trek – $357,360 ($278,690,583 total)
28. The Hurt Locker – $285,910 ($12,997,727 total)
37. In the Loop – $158,749 ($2,145,793 total)
47. The Baader Meinhof Complex – $48,001 ($128,514 total)
51. Food, Inc. – $41,845 ($4,524,744 total)
53. The Cove – $34,573 ($734,779 total)
61. Departures – $21,888 ($1,426,528 total)
79. Il Divo – $4,803 ($246,546 total)
999. Revanche – $1,971 ($279,018 total)

Oscar Details:

• The Baader Meinhof Complex: Foreign Language Film
• The Cove: Documentary Feature
• Departures: Foreign Language Film [O]
• District 9: Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Visual Effects
• 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]
• In the Loop: Adapted Screenplay
• Inglourious Basterds: Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Christoph Waltz) [O], Original Screenplay, Editing, Cinematography, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing
• Julie & Julia: Actress (Meryl Streep)
• Revanche: Foreign Language Film
• 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 Sep. 3-5, 2004

Weekend Box Office:

1. Hero – $8,807,757 ($32,530,260 total) {week 1}
7. Collateral – $5,011,582 ($87,427,974 total) {week 5}
19. Spider-Man 2 – $1,165,913 ($369,534,309 total) {week 10}
20. The Village – $840,020 ($111,955,089 total) {week 6}
21. I, Robot – $719,977 ($141,686,064 total) {week 8}
22. Shrek 2 – $855,054 ($438,477,864 total) {week 16}
24. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – $413,441 ($248,195,631 total) {week 14}
27. Maria Full of Grace – $361,353 ($4,444,119 total) {week 8}
31. Before Sunset – $255,711 ($5,094,425 total) {week 10}
65. Story of the Weeping Camel – $45,936 ($1,589,276 total) {week 14}
79. Super Size Me – $26,644 ($11,391,226 total) {week 18}
115. The Twilight Samurai – $2,995 ($511,916 total) {week 20}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Hero – $22,307,497 ($82,389,724 total)
7. Collateral – $12,692,885 ($221,429,729 total)
19. Spider-Man 2 – $2,952,920 ($935,923,343 total)
20. The Village – $2,127,527 ($283,549,805 total)
21. I, Robot – $1,823,493 ($358,849,751 total)
22. Shrek 2 – $2,165,604 ($1,110,537,394 total)
24. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – $1,047,126 ($628,607,626 total)
27. Maria Full of Grace – $915,202 ($11,255,666 total)
31. Before Sunset – $647,642 ($12,902,703 total)
65. Story of the Weeping Camel – $116,343 ($4,025,176 total)
79. Super Size Me – $67,482 ($28,850,675 total)
115. The Twilight Samurai – $7,585 ($1,296,535 total)

Oscar Details:

• Before Sunset: Adapted Screenplay
• Collateral: Supporting Actor (Jamie Foxx), Editing
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Original Score, Visual Effects
• Hero: Foreign Language Film
• I, Robot: Visual Effects
• Maria Full of Grace: Actress (Catalina Sandino Moreno)
• 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 Twilight Samurai: Foreign Language Film
• The Village : Original Score

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Sep. 3-5, 1999

Weekend Box Office:

1. The Sixth Sense – $22,896,967 ($176,245,282 total) {week 5}
17. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace – $1,148,842 ($420,995,738 total) {week 16}
22. Tarzan – $806,735 ($167,862,342 total) {week 12}
27. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me – $482,641 ($205,120,694 total) {week 13}
31. The Red Violin – $301,243 ($8,369,857 total) {week 34}
34. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut – $251,915 ($51,612,637 total) {week 10}
38. Buena Vista Social Club – $224,715 ($4,455,157 total) {week 14}
45. The Matrix – $104,573 ($171,206,947 total) {week 23}
47. The Mummy – $101,640 ($155,116,090 total) {week 18}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. The Sixth Sense – $36,644,162 ($282,061,839 total)
17. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace – $1,838,600 ($673,758,927 total)
22. Tarzan – $1,291,094 ($268,645,835 total)
27. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me – $772,416 ($328,273,867 total)
31. The Red Violin – $482,107 ($13,395,066 total)
34. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut – $403,163 ($82,600,539 total)
38. Buena Vista Social Club – $359,632 ($7,130,005 total)
45. The Matrix – $167,358 ($273,998,520 total)
47. The Mummy – $162,664 ($248,246,813 total)

Oscar Details:

• Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me: Makeup
• Buena Vista Social Club: Documentary Feature
• The Matrix : Editing [O], Sound [O], Sound Effects [O], Visual Effects [O]
• The Mummy : Sound
• The Red Violin : Original Score [O]
• The Sixth Sense : Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Haley Joel Osment), Supporting Actress (Toni Collette), Original Screenplay, Editing
• 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 Sep. 9-11, 1994

Weekend Box Office:

1. Forrest Gump – $6,760,367 ($247,778,090 total) {week 10}
3. Clear and Present Danger – $4,321,189 ($104,527,650 total) {week 6}
5. The Mask – $2,825,711 ($103,901,001 total) {week 7}
8. True Lies – $2,153,995 ($135,124,659 total) {week 9}
9. The Client – $1,832,751 ($84,724,683 total) {week 8}
11. The Lion King – $1,805,418 ($264,718,828 total) {week 13}
999. Jurassic Park – $461,250 ($354,666,740 total) {week 66}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Forrest Gump – $13,148,752 ($481,922,457 total)
3. Clear and Present Danger – $8,404,609 ($203,303,779 total)
5. The Mask – $5,495,940 ($202,084,961 total)
8. True Lies – $4,189,469 ($262,814,229 total)
9. The Client – $3,564,657 ($164,787,482 total)
11. The Lion King – $3,511,495 ($514,871,787 total)
999. Jurassic Park – $897,120 ($689,818,324 total)

Oscar Details:

• Clear and Present Danger: Sound, Sound Effects
• The Client: Actress (Susan Sarandon)
• 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]
• Jurassic Park: Sound [O], Sound Effects [O], Visual Effects [O]
• The Lion King : Original Song (“Can You Feel the Love Tonight” [O], “Circle of Life”, “Hakuna Matata”), Original Score [O]
• The Mask : Visual Effects
• True Lies: Visual Effects

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Sep. 8-10, 1989

Weekend Box Office:

2. Parenthood – $4,406,913 ($69,642,398 total) {week 6}
4. When Harry Met Sally… – $3,113,154 ($71,564,498 total) {week 9}
5. The Abyss – $2,865,779 ($44,540,211 total) {week 5}
6. Lethal Weapon 2 – $2,597,052 ($134,775,306 total) {week 10}
7. sex, lies and videotape – $2,135,236 ($10,821,382 total) {week 6}
9. Batman – $1,887,559 ($241,089,760 total) {week 12}
13. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – $1,173,418 ($191,231,088 total) {week 16}
15. Dead Poets Society – $943,859 ($87,624,941 total) {week 15}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. Parenthood – $9,024,736 ($142,617,807 total)
4. When Harry Met Sally… – $6,375,300 ($146,553,997 total)
5. The Abyss – $5,868,711 ($91,212,069 total)
6. Lethal Weapon 2 – $5,318,396 ($276,000,816 total)
7. sex, lies and videotape – $4,372,662 ($22,160,664 total)
9. Batman – $3,865,455 ($493,717,821 total)
13. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – $2,402,995 ($391,614,294 total)
15. Dead Poets Society – $1,932,890 ($179,443,519 total)

Oscar Details:

• The Abyss : Cinematography, Art Direction, Sound, Visual Effects [O]
• Batman: Art Direction [O]
• Dead Poets Society: Picture, Director, Actor (Robin Williams), Original Screenplay [O]
• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: Original Score, Sound, Sound Effects [O]
• Lethal Weapon 2: Sound Effects
• Parenthood: Supporting Actress (Dianne Wiest), Original Song (“I Love To See You Smile”)
• sex, lies and videotape: Original Screenplay
• When Harry Met Sally…: Original Screenplay

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Sep. 7-9, 1984

Weekend Box Office:

2. Ghostbusters – $3,666,200 ($192,781,806 total) {week 14}
3. Purple Rain – $2,555,084 ($49,105,044 total) {week 7}
4. The Karate Kid – $2,459,536 ($72,886,052 total) {week 12}
5. The Woman in Red – $2,440,930 ($16,742,768 total) {week 4}
10. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – $1,136,221 ($168,868,276 total) {week 16}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. Ghostbusters – $8,870,895 ($466,463,120 total)
3. Purple Rain – $6,182,391 ($118,816,669 total)
4. The Karate Kid – $5,951,199 ($176,358,215 total)
5. The Woman in Red – $5,906,179 ($40,511,519 total)
10. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – $2,749,249 ($408,600,918 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)
• Purple Rain: Original Song Score [O]
• The Woman in Red : Original Song (“I Just Called to Say I Love You”) [O]