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

Alice Through the Looking Glass (Wide)

Oscar Potential: Production Design, Costume Design, Makeup & Hairstyling.

X-Men: Apocalypse (Wide)

Oscar Potential: Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects.

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 3-5, 2011

Weekend Box Office:

3. Kung Fu Panda 2 – $23,887,914 ($100,028,372 total) {week 2}
5. Bridesmaids – $12,040,875 ($107,167,230 total) {week 4}
8. Midnight in Paris – $2,769,992 ($6,796,731 total) {week 3}
11. Rio – $738,518 ($136,690,395 total) {week 8}
13. The Tree of Life – $618,291 ($1,250,226 total) {week 2}
17. Rango – $239,040 ($122,152,494 total) {week 14}
22. Incendies – $175,488 ($1,179,607 total) {week 7}
28. Beginners – $141,340 ($141,340 total) {week 1}
33. Jane Eyre – $100,817 ($10,867,432 total) {week 13}
54. In a Better World – $21,670 ($788,692 total) {week 10}
79. Barney’s Version – $2,879 ($4,428,968 total) {week 21}
97. Biutiful – $797 ($5,100,937 total) {week 19}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

3. Kung Fu Panda 2 – $24,610,877 ($103,055,712 total)
5. Bridesmaids – $12,405,290 ($110,410,627 total)
8. Midnight in Paris – $2,853,825 ($7,002,433 total)
11. Rio – $760,869 ($140,827,305 total)
13. The Tree of Life – $637,003 ($1,288,064 total)
17. Rango – $246,275 ($125,849,417 total)
22. Incendies – $180,799 ($1,215,308 total)
28. Beginners – $145,618 ($145,618 total)
33. Jane Eyre – $103,868 ($11,196,333 total)
54. In a Better World – $22,326 ($812,562 total)
79. Barney’s Version – $2,966 ($4,563,010 total)
97. Biutiful – $821 ($5,255,316 total)

Oscar Details:

• Barney’s Version: Makeup
• Beginners: Supporting Actor (Christopher Plummer) [O]
• Biutiful: Actor (Javier Bardem), Foreign Language Film
• Bridesmaids: Supporting Actress (Melissa McCarthy), Original Screenplay
• In a Better World: Foreign Language Film [O]
• Incendies: Foreign Language Film
• Jane Eyre: Costume Design
• Kung Fu Panda 2: Animated Feature
• Midnight in Paris: Picture, Directing, Original Screenplay [O], Art Direction
• Rango: Animated Feature [O]
• Rio: Original Song (“Real in Rio”)
• The Tree of Life: Picture, Directing, Cinematography

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 2-4, 2006

Weekend Box Office:

6. Poseidon – $3,492,361 ($51,760,587 total) {week 4}
9. An Inconvenient Truth – $1,356,387 ($1,937,361 total) {week 2}
12. United 93 – $493,015 ($30,614,085 total) {week 6}
21. Water – $248,750 ($1,802,447 total) {week 6}
64. Tsotsi – $11,907 ($2,886,297 total) {week 15}
69. Sophie Scholl – $9,210 ($619,280 total) {week 16}
70. Joyeux Noel – $7,925 ($1,026,084 total) {week 25}
116. Darwin’s Nightmare – $398 ($201,334 total) {week 44}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

6. Poseidon – $4,356,121 ($64,562,442 total)
9. An Inconvenient Truth – $1,691,860 ($2,416,525 total)
12. United 93 – $614,952 ($38,185,813 total)
21. Water – $310,273 ($2,248,243 total)
64. Tsotsi – $14,852 ($3,600,160 total)
69. Sophie Scholl – $11,488 ($772,445 total)
70. Joyeux Noel – $9,885 ($1,279,864 total)
116. Darwin’s Nightmare – $496 ($251,130 total)

Oscar Details:

• Darwin’s Nightmare: Documentary Feature
• An Inconvenient Truth: Original Song (“I Need to Wake Up” [O]), Documentary Feature [O]
• Joyeux Noel: Foreign Language Film
• Poseidon: Visual Effects
• Sophie Scholl: Foreign Language Film
• Tsotsi: Foreign Language Film [O]
• United 93: Directing, Film Editing
• Water: Foreign Language Film

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 1-3, 2001

Weekend Box Office:

1. Pearl Harbor – $29,558,276 ($118,853,439 total) {week 2}
2. Shrek – $28,172,869 ($148,361,421 total) {week 3}
4. Moulin Rouge! – $13,718,306 ($14,394,913 total) {week 3}
8. Bridget Jones’ Diary – $2,014,889 ($65,358,871 total) {week 8}
10. Memento – $1,090,562 ($16,051,557 total) {week 12}
15. O Brother, Where Art Thou? – $314,271 ($44,207,095 total) {week 24}
18. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – $269,610 ($127,152,098 total) {week 26}
23. Traffic – $139,197 ($123,836,420 total) {week 23}
24. Cast Away – $122,697 ($233,249,446 total) {week 23}
26. Amores Perros – $113,745 ($4,856,342 total) {week 10}
35. Chocolat – $77,600 ($71,005,664 total) {week 25}
55. Pollock – $30,221 ($8,507,425 total) {week 25}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Pearl Harbor – $42,666,275 ($171,560,529 total)
2. Shrek – $40,666,491 ($214,154,207 total)
4. Moulin Rouge! – $19,801,866 ($20,778,523 total)
8. Bridget Jones’ Diary – $2,908,418 ($94,343,105 total)
10. Memento – $1,574,186 ($23,169,827 total)
15. O Brother, Where Art Thou? – $453,639 ($63,811,301 total)
18. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – $389,172 ($183,539,336 total)
23. Traffic – $200,926 ($178,753,278 total)
24. Cast Away – $177,109 ($336,686,921 total)
26. Amores Perros – $164,187 ($7,009,949 total)
35. Chocolat – $112,013 ($102,494,041 total)
55. Pollock – $43,623 ($12,280,152 total)

Oscar Details:

• Amores Perros: Foreign Language Film
• Bridget Jones’ Diary: Actress (Renee Zellweger)
• Cast Away: Actor (Tom Hanks), Sound
• Chocolat: Picture, Actress (Juliette Binoche), Supporting Actress (Judi Dench), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score
• Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Picture, Directing, Adapted Screenplay, Original Song (“A Love Before Time”), Original Score [O], Editing, Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Costume Design, Foreign Language Film [O]
• Memento: Original Screenplay, Film Editing
• Moulin Rouge!: Picture, Actress (Nicole Kidman), Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Makeup, Sound
• O Brother, Where Art Thou?: Cinematography
• Pearl Harbor: Original Song (“There You’ll Be”), Sound, Sound Editing [O], Visual Effects
• Pollock: Actor (Ed Harris), Supporting Actress (Marcia Gay Harden) [O]
• Shrek: Animated Feature [O], Adapted Screenplay
• Traffic: Picture, Directing [O], Supporting Actor (Benicio Del Toro) [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Editing [O]

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 31-Jun. 2, 1996

Weekend Box Office:

2. Twister – $17,112,505 ($168,873,442 total) {week 4}
3. Dragonheart – $15,027,150 ($15,027,150 total) {week 1}
10. Toy Story – $933,144 ($187,890,719 total) {week 28}
11. The Birdcage – $605,039 ($119,650,000 total) {week 13}
12. Primal Fear – $592,420 ($53,891,394 total) {week 9}
999. Braveheart – $551 ($75,609,043 total) {week 54}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. Twister – $31,631,033 ($312,148,421 total)
3. Dragonheart – $27,776,429 ($27,776,429 total)
10. Toy Story – $1,724,839 ($347,300,266 total)
11. The Birdcage – $1,118,364 ($221,163,009 total)
12. Primal Fear – $1,095,039 ($99,613,731 total)
999. Braveheart – $1,018 ($139,756,987 total)

Oscar Details:

• The Birdcage: Art Direction
• Braveheart: Picture [O], Directing [O], Original Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score, Editing, Cinematography [O], Costume Design, Makeup [O], Sound, Sound Effects Editing [O]
• Dragonheart: Visual Effects
• Primal Fear: Supporting Actor (Edward Norton)
• Toy Story: Original Screenplay, Original Song (“You’ve Got a Friend in Me”), Original Musical or Comedy Score
• Twister: Sound, Visual Effects

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 31-Jun. 2, 1991

Weekend Box Office:

1. Backdraft – $9,118,395 ($28,249,555 total) {week 2}
4. Thelma & Louise – $4,160,599 ($11,903,937 total) {week 2}
9. Home Alone – $1,419,727 ($273,406,047 total) {week 29}
14. The Silence of the Lambs – $1,039,120 ($121,185,746 total) {week 16}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Backdraft – $17,695,318 ($54,821,583 total)
4. Thelma & Louise – $8,074,132 ($23,100,989 total)
9. Home Alone – $2,755,147 ($530,576,581 total)
14. The Silence of the Lambs – $2,016,535 ($235,175,189 total)

Oscar Details:

• Backdraft: Sound, Sound Effects Editing, Visual Effects
• Home Alone: Original Song (“Somewhere in My Memory”), Original Score
• The Silence of the Lambs: Picture [O], Directing [O], Actor (Anthony Hopkins) [O], Actress (Jodie Foster) [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Film Editing, Sound
• Thelma & Louise: Directing, Actor (Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon), Original Screenplay [O], Film Editing, Cinematography

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 30-Jun. 1, 1986

Weekend Box Office:

2. Top Gun – $6,903,408 ($31,039,608 total) {week 3}
3. Poltergeist II: The Other Side – $6,034,943 ($20,594,640 total) {week 2}
12. Hannah and Her Sisters – $430,656 ($32,803,434 total) {week 17}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. Top Gun – $15,202,384 ($68,354,069 total)
3. Poltergeist II: The Other Side – $13,289,888 ($45,352,617 total)
12. Hannah and Her Sisters – $948,372 ($72,238,290 total)

Oscar Details:

• Hannah and Her Sisters: Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Michael Caine) [O], Supporting Actress (Dianne Wiest) [O], Original Screenplay [O], Film Editing, Art Direction
• Poltergeist II: The Other Side: Visual Effects
• Top Gun: Original Song (“Take My Breath Away” [O]), Editing, Sound, Sound Effects