Every week, we’ll take a look back in 5-year intervals at the box office past to explore how Oscar’s nominees were doing at the box office each weekend historically. All data is collected from Box Office Mojo. The first section under each year is the positioning of all Oscar nominees during that weekend at the box office (as well as a section looking at the inflation-adjusted numbers). The third 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 shots at this stage of the game. If you have any suggestions for more data you’d like to see, please let us know.
This Year: Potential Oscar Nominees Releasing This Weekend
Bridge of Spies (Wide)
Oscar Potential: Picture, Director, Actor (Tom Hanks), Supporting Actor (Alan Alda, Mark Rylance), Supporting Actress (Amy Ryan), Original Screenplay, Original Score, Film Editing, Cinematography, Production Design, Costume Design, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing.
Crimson Peak (Wide)
Oscar Potential: Cinematography, Production Design, Costume Design, Makeup & Hairstyling, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing.
The Assassin (Limited)
Oscar Potential: Foreign Language Film.
Beasts of No Nation (Limited)
Oscar Potential: Picture, Director, Actor (Abraham Attah), Supporting Actor (Idris Elba), Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing.
Room (Limited)
Oscar Potential: Picture, Director, Actress (Brie Larson), Supporting Actor (Jacob Tremblay), Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing.
Truth (Limited)
Oscar Potential: Picture, Director, Actor (Robert Redford), Actress (Cate Blanchett), Supporting Actor (Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace), Supporting Actress (Elisabeth Moss), Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing.
5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 15-17, 2010
Weekend Box Office:
- The Social Network – $10,317,395 ($62,436,364 total) {week 3}
- The Town – $3,977,006 ($80,510,629 total) {week 5}
- Toy Story 3 – $534,680 ($412,844,168 total) {week 18}
- Inception – $348,326 ($289,751,947 total) {week 14}
- Hereafter – $220,322 ($220,322 total) {week 1}
- Salt – $148,124 ($118,174,532 total) {week 13}
- Inside Job – $85,595 ($148,431 total) {week 2}
- The Kids Are All Right – $15,608 ($20,803,237 total) {week 15}
- Winter’s Bone – $11,284 ($6,190,893 total) {week 19}
- Animal Kingdom – $10,316 ($934,843 total) {week 10}
- I Am Love – $9,088 ($4,958,838 total) {week 18}
- Exit Through the Gift Shop – $4,199 ($3,283,633 total) {week 27}
- Restrepo – $3,225 ($1,312,440 total) {week 17}
- Gasland – $2,187 ($30,846 total) {week 5}
- The Secret in Their Eyes – $701 ($6,390,014 total) {week 27}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- The Social Network – $10,683,538 ($64,652,103 total)
- The Town – $4,118,142 ($83,367,787 total)
- Toy Story 3 – $553,655 ($427,495,165 total)
- Inception – $360,687 ($300,034,652 total)
- Hereafter – $228,141 ($228,141 total)
- Salt – $153,381 ($122,368,305 total)
- Inside Job – $88,633 ($153,699 total)
- The Kids Are All Right – $16,162 ($21,541,501 total)
- Winter’s Bone – $11,684 ($6,410,595 total)
- Animal Kingdom – $10,682 ($968,019 total)
- I Am Love – $9,411 ($5,134,817 total)
- Exit Through the Gift Shop – $4,348 ($3,400,162 total)
- Restrepo – $3,339 ($1,359,016 total)
- Gasland – $2,265 ($31,941 total)
- The Secret in Their Eyes – $726 ($6,616,783 total)
Oscar Details:
- Animal Kingdom: Supporting Actress (Jacki Weaver)
- Exit Through the Gift Shop: Documentary Feature
- Gasland: Documentary Feature
- Hereafter: Visual Effects
- I Am Love: Costume Design
- Inception: Picture, Original Screenplay, Original Score, Cinematography [O], Art Direction, Sound Mixing [O], Sound Editing [O], Visual Effects [O]
- Inside Job: Documentary Feature
- The Kids Are All Right: Picture, Actress (Annette Bening), Supporting Actor (Mark Ruffalo), Original Screenplay
- Restrepo: Documentary Feature
- Salt: Sound Mixing
- The Secret in Their Eyes: Foreign Language Film
- The Social Network: Picture, Directing, Actor (Jesse Eisenberg), Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score [O], Editing [O], Cinematography, Sound Mixing
- The Town: Supporting Actor (Jeremy Renner)
- Toy Story 3: Picture, Animated Feature [O], Adapted Screenplay, Original Song (“We Belong Together”) [O], Sound Editing
- Winter’s Bone: Picture, Actress (Jennifer Lawrence), Supporting Actor (John Hawkes), Adapted Screenplay
10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 21-23, 2005
Weekend Box Office:
- Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit – $8,584,304 ($43,918,009 total) {week 3}
- North Country – $6,422,455 ($6,422,455 total) {week 1}
- A History of Violence – $2,699,962 ($26,300,395 total) {week 5}
- Good Night, and Good Luck. – $2,259,196 ($4,545,341 total) {week 3}
- Corpse Bride – $1,910,316 ($50,534,702 total) {week 6}
- Capote – $614,527 ($2,185,181 total) {week 4}
- The Constant Gardener – $348,857 ($32,630,159 total) {week 8}
- The Squid and the Whale – $315,339 ($915,485 total) {week 3}
- March of the Penguins – $239,181 ($76,204,299 total) {week 18}
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – $238,206 ($205,663,945 total) {week 15}
- War of the Worlds – $119,841 ($234,043,462 total) {week 17}
- Junebug – $33,069 ($2,579,096 total) {week 12}
- Batman Begins – $27,082 ($205,324,662 total) {week 19}
- Darwin’s Nightmare – $3,015 ($67,889 total) {week 12}
- Hustle & Flow – $1,239 ($22,197,372 total) {week 14}
- Cinderella Man – $647 ($61,613,563 total) {week 21}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit – $10,941,305 ($55,976,620 total)
- North Country – $8,185,875 ($8,185,875 total)
- A History of Violence – $3,441,293 ($33,521,720 total)
- Good Night, and Good Luck. – $2,879,506 ($5,793,360 total)
- Corpse Bride – $2,434,833 ($64,410,065 total)
- Capote – $783,258 ($2,785,168 total)
- The Constant Gardener – $444,643 ($41,589,454 total)
- The Squid and the Whale – $401,922 ($1,166,851 total)
- March of the Penguins – $304,853 ($97,127,788 total)
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – $303,610 ($262,133,297 total)
- War of the Worlds – $152,746 ($298,305,005 total)
- Junebug – $42,149 ($3,287,241 total)
- Batman Begins – $34,518 ($261,700,856 total)
- Darwin’s Nightmare – $3,843 ($86,529 total)
- Hustle & Flow – $1,579 ($28,292,126 total)
- Cinderella Man – $825 ($78,530,860 total)
Oscar Details:
- Batman Begins: Cinematography
- Capote: Picture, Directing, Actor (Philip Seymour Hoffman) [O], Supporting Actress (Catherine Keener), Adapted Screenplay
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Costume Design
- Cinderella Man: Supporting Actor (Paul Giamatti), Editing, Makeup
- The Constant Gardener: Supporting Actress (Rachel Weisz) [O], Adapted Screenplay, Origianl Score, Editing
- Corpse Bride: Animated Feature
- Darwin’s Nightmare: Documentary Feature
- Good Night, and Good Luck.: Picture, Directing, Actor (David Strathairn), Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Art Direction
- A History of Violence: Supporting Actor (William Hurt), Adapted Screenplay
- Hustle & Flow: Actor (Terrence Howard), Original Song (“It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp”) [O]
- Junebug: Supporting Actress (Amy Adams)
- March of the Penguins: Documentary Feature [O]
- North Country: Actress (Charlize Theron), Supporting Actress (Frances McDormand)
- The Squid and the Whale: Original Screenplay
- Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit: Animated Feature [O]
- War of the Worlds: Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects
15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 20-22, 2000
Weekend Box Office:
- Meet the Parents – $16,015,185 ($80,723,025 total) {week 3}
- The Contender – $3,486,109 ($10,553,191 total) {week 2}
- Almost Famous – $1,240,303 ($28,714,323 total) {week 6}
- Billy Elliot – $489,415 ($812,532 total) {week 2}
- Dancer in the Dark – $328,382 ($207,687 total) {week 5}
- Space Cowboys – $236,677 ($89,442,354 total) {week 12}
- The Cell – $112,431 ($60,648,819 total) {week 10}
- Requiem for a Dream – $83,137 ($252,059 total) {week 3}
- The Perfect Storm – $81,549 ($181,372,312 total) {week 17}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- Meet the Parents – $24,275,336 ($122,357,535 total)
- The Contender – $5,284,139 ($15,996,210 total)
- Almost Famous – $1,880,014 ($43,524,308 total)
- Billy Elliot – $741,841 ($1,231,612 total)
- Dancer in the Dark – $497,752 ($314,806 total)
- Space Cowboys – $358,748 ($135,574,032 total)
- The Cell – $170,420 ($91,929,657 total)
- Requiem for a Dream – $126,017 ($382,063 total)
- The Perfect Storm – $123,610 ($274,918,699 total)
Oscar Details:
- Almost Famous: Supporting Actress (Kate Hudson, Frances McDormand), Original Screenplay [O], Editing
- Billy Elliot: Directing, Supporting Actress (Julie Walters), Original Screenplay
- The Cell: Makeup
- The Contender: Actress (Joan Allen), Supporting Actor (Jeff Bridges)
- Dancer in the Dark: Original Song (“I’ve Seen It All”)
- Meet the Parents: Original Song (“A Fool in Love”)
- The Perfect Storm: Sound, Visual Effects
- Requiem for a Dream: Actress (Ellen Burstyn)
- Space Cowboys: Sound Editing
20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 20-22, 1995
Weekend Box Office:
- Seven – $7,121,898 ($67,554,242 total) {week 5}
- Apollo 13 – $802,125 ($169,910,585 total) {week 17}
- Batman Forever – $149,119 ($183,686,730 total) {week 19}
- Braveheart – $56,859 ($66,789,879 total) {week 22}
- Maya Lin – $2,273 ($2,273 total) {week 1}
- The Usual Suspects – $389,137 ($20,868,504 total) {week 10}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- Seven – $13,376,070 ($126,877,737 total)
- Apollo 13 – $1,506,520 ($319,119,421 total)
- Batman Forever – $280,069 ($344,993,238 total)
- Braveheart – $106,790 ($125,442,141 total)
- Maya Lin – $4,269 ($4,269 total)
- The Usual Suspects – $730,862 ($39,194,409 total)
Oscar Details:
- Apollo 13: Picture, Supporting Actor (Ed Harris), Supporting Actress (Kathleen Quinlan), Adapted Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score, Editing [O], Art Direction, Sound [O], Visual Effects
- Batman Forever: Cinematography, Sound, Sound Effects Editing
- Braveheart: Picture [O], Directing [O], Original Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score, Editing, Cinematography [O], Costume Design, Makeup [O], Sound, Sound Effects Editing [O]
- Maya Lin : Documentary Feature
- Seven: Editing
- The Usual Suspects: Supporting Actor (Kevin Spacey) [O], Original Screenplay [O]
25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 19-21, 1990
Weekend Box Office:
- Ghost – $3,555,283 ($173,334,501 total) {week 15}
- Avalon – $2,813,165 ($3,407,219 total) {week 3}
- Good Fellas – $2,524,102 ($30,756,734 total) {week 5}
- Postcards from the Edge – $1,510,201 ($33,064,809 total) {week 6}
- Henry & June – $1,194,909 ($4,576,138 total) {week 3}
- Reversal of Fortune – $176,985 ($176,985 total) {week 1}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- Ghost – $6,866,823 ($334,785,549 total)
- Avalon – $5,433,465 ($6,580,846 total)
- Good Fellas – $4,875,157 ($59,404,850 total)
- Postcards from the Edge – $2,916,866 ($63,862,763 total)
- Henry & June – $2,307,898 ($8,838,545 total)
- Reversal of Fortune – $341,836 ($341,836 total)
Oscar Details:
- Avalon: Original Screenplay, Original Score, Cinematography, Costume Design
- Ghost: Picture, Supporting Actress (Whoopi Goldberg) [O], Original Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing
- Good Fellas: Picture, Directing, Supporting Actor (Joe Pesci), Supporting Actres (Lorraine Bracco), Adapted Screenplay, Editing
- Henry & June: Cinematography
- Postcards from the Edge: Actress (Meryl Streep), Original Song (“I’m Checkin’ Out”)
- Reversal of Fortune: Directing, Actor (Jeremy Irons) [O], Adapted Screenplay
30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 18-20, 1985
Weekend Box Office:
- Jagged Edge – $3,364,905 ($14,006,622 total) {week 3}
- Back to the Future – $2,881,120 ($167,008,916 total) {week 16}
- Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins – $2,620,337 ($6,586,739 total) {week 2}
- Agnes of God – $1,989,658 ($16,809,012 total) {week 6}
- Sweet Dreams – $1,584,936 ($4,441,480 total) {week 3}
- The Journey of Natty Gann – $764,601 ($3,194,595 total) {week 4}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- Jagged Edge – $7,744,021 ($32,234,958 total)
- Back to the Future – $6,630,634 ($384,355,731 total)
- Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins – $6,030,466 ($15,158,777 total)
- Agnes of God – $4,579,016 ($38,684,402 total)
- Sweet Dreams – $3,647,585 ($10,221,660 total)
- The Journey of Natty Gann – $1,759,659 ($7,352,068 total)
Oscar Details:
- Agnes of God: Actress (Anne Bancroft), Supporting Actress (Meg Tilly), Original Score
- Back to the Future: Original Screenplay, Original Song (“The Power of Love’), Sound, Sound Effects Editing [O]
- Jagged Edge: Original Score, Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup
- The Journey of Natty Gann: Costume Design
- Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins: Makeup
- Sweet Dreams: Actress (Jessica Lange)
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