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

The Secret Life of Pets (Wide)

Oscar Potential: Animated Feature.

Our Little Sister (Limited)

Oscar Potential: Foreign Language Film.

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jul. 15-17, 2011

Weekend Box Office:

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 – $169,189,427 ($169,189,427 total) {week 1}
2. Transformers: Dark of the Moon – $21,328,545 ($302,878,797 total) {week 3}
10. Midnight in Paris – $1,876,588 ($41,778,698 total) {week 9}
11. Bridesmaids – $1,722,205 ($161,329,580 total) {week 10}
17. The Tree of Life – $626,723 ($10,090,489 total) {week 8}
20. Kung Fu Panda 2 – $460,755 ($160,074,529 total) {week 8}
21. Beginners – $432,814 ($3,932,687 total) {week 7}
23. A Better Life – $338,296 ($1,039,036 total) {week 4}
24. Rio – $323,269 ($141,932,576 total) {week 14}
47. Incendies – $35,410 ($1,862,188 total) {week 13}
63. In a Better World – $8,594 ($937,277 total) {week 16}
70. If a Tree Falls – $6,928 ($34,006 total) {week 4}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 – $174,309,914 ($174,309,914 total)
2. Transformers: Dark of the Moon – $21,974,050 ($312,045,368 total)
10. Midnight in Paris – $1,933,383 ($43,043,123 total)
11. Bridesmaids – $1,774,327 ($166,212,190 total)
17. The Tree of Life – $645,691 ($10,395,876 total)
20. Kung Fu Panda 2 – $474,700 ($164,919,155 total)
21. Beginners – $445,913 ($4,051,709 total)
23. A Better Life – $348,534 ($1,070,482 total)
24. Rio – $333,053 ($146,228,139 total)
47. Incendies – $36,482 ($1,918,547 total)
63. In a Better World – $8,854 ($965,644 total)
70. If a Tree Falls – $7,138 ($35,035 total)

Oscar Details:

• Beginners: Supporting Actor (Christopher Plummer) [O]
• A Better Life: Actor (Demian Bichir)
• Bridesmaids: Supporting Actress (Melissa McCarthy), Original Screenplay
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2: Art Direction, Makeup, Visual Effects
• If a Tree Falls: Documentary Feature
• In a Better World: Foreign Language Film [O]
• Incendies: Foreign Language Film
• Kung Fu Panda 2: Animated Feature
• Midnight in Paris: Picture, Directing, Original Screenplay [O], Art Direction
• Rio: Original Song (“Real in Rio”)
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects
• The Tree of Life: Picture, Directing, Cinematography

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jul. 14-16, 2006

Weekend Box Office:

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – $62,345,264 ($258,364,766 total) {week 2}
4. Superman Returns – $12,288,317 ($164,316,103 total) {week 3}
5. The Devil Wears Prada – $10,386,386 ($83,490,860 total) {week 3}
6. Cars – $7,840,985 ($220,001,446 total) {week 6}
7. Click – $7,261,361 ($119,963,211 total) {week 4}
12. An Inconvenient Truth – $1,165,480 ($17,033,435 total) {week 8}
24. Poseidon – $256,899 ($60,156,539 total) {week 10}
35. Water – $61,540 ($2,964,790 total) {week 12}
98. Sophie Scholl – $2,225 ($668,967 total) {week 22}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – $77,765,009 ($322,265,670 total)
4. Superman Returns – $15,327,565 ($204,956,116 total)
5. The Devil Wears Prada – $12,955,233 ($104,140,508 total)
6. Cars – $9,780,282 ($274,414,017 total)
7. Click – $9,057,301 ($149,633,501 total)
12. An Inconvenient Truth – $1,453,736 ($21,246,285 total)
24. Poseidon – $320,437 ($75,034,950 total)
35. Water – $76,761 ($3,698,066 total)
98. Sophie Scholl – $2,775 ($834,421 total)

Oscar Details:

• Cars: Animated Feature, Original Song (“Our Town”)
• Click: Makeup
• The Devil Wears Prada: Actress (Meryl Streep), Costume Design
• An Inconvenient Truth: Original Song (“I Need to Wake Up” [O]), Documentary Feature [O]
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest: Art Direction, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects [O]
• Poseidon: Visual Effects
• Sophie Scholl: Foreign Language Film
• Superman Returns: Visual Effects
• Water: Foreign Language Film

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jul. 13-15, 2001

Weekend Box Office:

9. A.I. Artificial Intelligence – $5,214,891 ($70,097,455 total) {week 3}
11. Shrek – $3,603,843 ($247,280,575 total) {week 9}
14. Pearl Harbor – $1,968,363 ($190,112,436 total) {week 8}
17. Moulin Rouge! – $753,303 ($52,467,635 total) {week 9}
18. Sexy Beast – $503,863 ($3,901,401 total) {week 5}
20. Memento – $321,596 ($23,005,444 total) {week 18}
27. Bridget Jones’ Diary – $134,864 ($71,110,998 total) {week 14}
43. Divided We Fall – $48,281 ($392,094 total) {week 6}
57. O Brother, Where Art Thou? – $26,864 ($45,423,537 total) {week 30}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

9. A.I. Artificial Intelligence – $7,527,502 ($101,183,076 total)
11. Shrek – $5,202,014 ($356,940,335 total)
14. Pearl Harbor – $2,841,259 ($274,420,248 total)
17. Moulin Rouge! – $1,087,365 ($75,735,084 total)
18. Sexy Beast – $727,308 ($5,631,528 total)
20. Memento – $464,212 ($33,207,505 total)
27. Bridget Jones’ Diary – $194,671 ($102,646,087 total)
43. Divided We Fall – $69,692 ($565,973 total)
57. O Brother, Where Art Thou? – $38,777 ($65,567,190 total)

Oscar Details:

• A.I. Artificial Intelligence: Original Score, Visual Effects
• Bridget Jones’ Diary: Actress (Renee Zellweger)
• Divided We Fall: Foreign Language Film
• 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
• Sexy Beast: Supporting Actor (Ben Kingsley)
• Shrek: Animated Feature [O], Adapted Screenplay

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jul. 12-14, 1996

Weekend Box Office:

1. Independence Day – $35,242,709 ($160,312,716 total) {week 2}
4. The Nutty Professor – $12,207,690 ($80,222,245 total) {week 3}
6. The Hunchback of Notre Dame – $6,425,235 ($76,974,024 total) {week 4}
7. Eraser – $6,307,035 ($80,871,220 total) {week 4}
8. The Rock – $4,383,051 ($117,437,539 total) {week 6}
10. Twister – $1,848,700 ($228,398,408 total) {week 10}
13. Lone Star – $805,531 ($2,616,951 total) {week 4}
999. Toy Story – $112,381 ($191,222,531 total) {week 34}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Independence Day – $65,143,197 ($296,324,636 total)
4. The Nutty Professor – $22,564,893 ($148,284,104 total)
6. The Hunchback of Notre Dame – $11,876,509 ($142,280,040 total)
7. Eraser – $11,658,026 ($149,483,680 total)
8. The Rock – $8,101,703 ($217,073,460 total)
10. Twister – $3,417,167 ($422,175,338 total)
13. Lone Star – $1,488,957 ($4,837,215 total)
999. Toy Story – $207,727 ($353,458,841 total)

Oscar Details:

• Eraser: Sound Effects Editing
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Original Musical or Comedy Score
• Independence Day: Sound, Visual Effects [O]
• Lone Star: Original Screenplay
• The Nutty Professor: Makeup [O]
• The Rock: Sound
• 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 Jul. 12-14, 1991

Weekend Box Office:

1. Terminator 2: Judgment Day – $20,738,340 ($90,429,618 total) {week 2}
3. Boyz N the Hood – $10,023,462 ($10,023,462 total) {week 1}
6. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves – $7,229,504 ($109,866,981 total) {week 5}
8. City Slickers – $5,848,723 ($83,893,043 total) {week 6}
11. Backdraft – $1,628,025 ($67,379,085 total) {week 8}
13. Thelma & Louise – $1,292,083 ($34,771,950 total) {week 8}
999. The Silence of the Lambs – $363,055 ($127,310,949 total) {week 22}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Terminator 2: Judgment Day – $40,245,187 ($175,489,306 total)
3. Boyz N the Hood – $19,451,707 ($19,451,707 total)
6. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves – $14,029,703 ($213,209,794 total)
8. City Slickers – $11,350,135 ($162,804,314 total)
11. Backdraft – $3,159,374 ($130,757,037 total)
13. Thelma & Louise – $2,507,439 ($67,479,057 total)
999. The Silence of the Lambs – $704,551 ($247,061,865 total)

Oscar Details:

• Backdraft: Sound, Sound Effects Editing, Visual Effects
• Boyz N the Hood: Directing, Original Screenplay
• City Slickers: Supporting Actor (Jack Palance) [O]
• Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves: Original Song (“(Everything I Do) I Do It for You”)
• The Silence of the Lambs: Picture [O], Directing [O], Actor (Anthony Hopkins) [O], Actress (Jodie Foster) [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Film Editing, Sound
• Terminator 2: Judgment Day: Editing, Cinematography, Makeup [O], Sound [O], Sound Effects [O], Visual Effects [O]
• Thelma & Louise: Directing, Actor (Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon), Original Screenplay [O], Film Editing, Cinematography

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jul. 11-13, 1986

Weekend Box Office:

1. The Karate Kid Part II – $6,667,787 ($51,544,849 total) {week 4}
4. Top Gun – $4,730,530 ($88,429,457 total) {week 9}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. The Karate Kid Part II – $14,683,509 ($113,509,816 total)
4. Top Gun – $10,417,367 ($194,735,489 total)

Oscar Details:

• The Karate Kid Part II: Original Song (“Glory of Love”)
• Top Gun: Original Song (“Take My Breath Away” [O]), Editing, Sound, Sound Effects