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

Deepater Horizon (Wide)

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

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (Wide)

Oscar Potential: Original Score, Cinematography, Production Design, Costume Design, Makeup & Hairstyling, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects.

Denial (Limited)

Oscar Potential: Actress (Rachel Weisz), Supporting Actor (Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Spall).

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 7-9, 2011

Weekend Box Office:

1. Real Steel – $27,319,677 ($27,319,677 total) {week 1}
2. The Ides of March – $10,470,143 ($10,470,143 total) {week 1}
4. Moneyball – $7,453,989 ($49,207,167 total) {week 3}
13. The Help – $1,945,048 ($162,652,363 total) {week 9}
14. Drive – $1,842,563 ($30,107,885 total) {week 4}
17. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 – $405,861 ($379,750,747 total) {week 13}
19. Rise of the Planet of the Apes – $295,891 ($174,937,803 total) {week 10}
24. Warrior – $170,753 ($13,427,854 total) {week 5}
29. Midnight in Paris – $130,882 ($54,905,643 total) {week 21}
37. Transformers: Dark of the Moon – $82,901 ($352,358,779 total) {week 15}
75. The Tree of Life – $9,872 ($13,279,566 total) {week 20}
94. Hell and Back Again – $3,413 ($4,809 total) {week 1}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Real Steel – $28,146,502 ($28,146,502 total)
2. The Ides of March – $10,787,020 ($10,787,020 total)
4. Moneyball – $7,679,583 ($50,696,413 total)
13. The Help – $2,003,915 ($167,575,007 total)
14. Drive – $1,898,328 ($31,019,095 total)
17. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 – $418,144 ($391,243,834 total)
19. Rise of the Planet of the Apes – $304,846 ($180,232,264 total)
24. Warrior – $175,921 ($13,834,246 total)
29. Midnight in Paris – $134,843 ($56,567,352 total)
37. Transformers: Dark of the Moon – $85,410 ($363,022,853 total)
75. The Tree of Life – $10,171 ($13,681,470 total)
94. Hell and Back Again – $3,516 ($4,955 total)

Oscar Details:

• Drive: Sound Editing
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2: Art Direction, Makeup, Visual Effects
• Hell and Back Again: Documentary Feature
• The Help: Picture, Actress (Viola Davis), Supporting Actress (Jessica Chastain, Octavia Spencer [O])
• The Ides of March: Adapted Screenplay
• Midnight in Paris: Picture, Directing, Original Screenplay [O], Art Direction
• Moneyball: Picture, Actor (Brad Pitt), Supporting Actor (Jonah Hill), Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing, Sound Mixing
• Real Steel: Visual Effects
• Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Visual Effects
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects
• The Tree of Life: Picture, Directing, Cinematography
• Warrior: Supporting Actor (Nick Nolte)

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 6-8, 2006

Weekend Box Office:

1. The Departed – $26,887,467 ($26,887,467 total) {week 1}
10. The Illusionist – $1,906,510 ($34,148,522 total) {week 8}
11. Little Miss Sunshine – $1,278,904 ($55,010,203 total) {week 11}
16. The Black Dahlia – $553,115 ($22,028,485 total) {week 4}
18. The Queen – $401,978 ($634,788 total) {week 2}
19. Monster House – $395,758 ($73,034,593 total) {week 12}
24. Superman Returns – $296,502 ($199,394,532 total) {week 15}
25. The Last King of Scotland – $292,730 ($533,737 total) {week 2}
26. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – $288,531 ($420,758,665 total) {week 14}
31. The Devil Wears Prada – $157,393 ($124,111,041 total) {week 15}
35. Cars – $134,870 ($243,921,502 total) {week 18}
38. Half Nelson – $122,180 ($2,378,723 total) {week 9}
39. Jesus Camp – $120,944 ($338,707 total) {week 4}
42. Little Children – $97,953 ($97,953 total) {week 1}
53. An Inconvenient Truth – $34,133 ($23,727,472 total) {week 20}
78. Water – $7,312 ($3,271,047 total) {week 24}
110. My Country, My Country – $1,617 ($30,815 total) {week 10}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. The Departed – $33,537,497 ($33,537,497 total)
10. The Illusionist – $2,378,044 ($42,594,416 total)
11. Little Miss Sunshine – $1,595,213 ($68,615,780 total)
16. The Black Dahlia – $689,916 ($27,476,752 total)
18. The Queen – $501,399 ($791,789 total)
19. Monster House – $493,640 ($91,098,111 total)
24. Superman Returns – $369,835 ($248,710,432 total)
25. The Last King of Scotland – $365,130 ($665,745 total)
26. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – $359,893 ($524,824,167 total)
31. The Devil Wears Prada – $196,321 ($154,807,207 total)
35. Cars – $168,227 ($304,250,179 total)
38. Half Nelson – $152,399 ($2,967,048 total)
39. Jesus Camp – $150,857 ($422,479 total)
42. Little Children – $122,180 ($122,180 total)
53. An Inconvenient Truth – $42,575 ($29,595,946 total)
78. Water – $9,120 ($4,080,069 total)
110. My Country, My Country – $2,017 ($38,436 total)

Oscar Details:

• The Black Dahlia: Cinematography
• Cars: Animated Feature, Original Song (“Our Town”)
• The Departed: Picture [O], Director [O], Supporting Actor (Mark Wahlberg), Adapted Screenplay [O], Editing
• The Devil Wears Prada: Actress (Meryl Streep), Costume Design
• Half Nelson: Actor (Ryan Gosling)
• The Illusionist: Cinematography
• An Inconvenient Truth: Original Song (“I Need to Wake Up” [O]), Documentary Feature [O]
• Jesus Camp: Documentary Feature
• The Last King of Scotland: Actor (Forest Whitaker [O])
• Little Children: Actress (Kate Winslet), Supporting Actor (Jackie Earle Haley), Adapted Screenplay
• Little Miss Sunshine: Picture, Supporting Actor (Alan Arkin [O]), Supporting Actress (Abigail Breslin), Original Screenplay [O]
• Monster House: Animated Feature
• My Country, My Country: Documentary Feature
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest: Art Direction, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects [O]
• The Queen: Picture, Director, Actress (Helen Mirren [O]), Original Screenplay, Original Score, Costume Design
• Superman Returns: Visual Effects
• Water: Foreign Language Film

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 5-7, 2001

Weekend Box Office:

1. Training Day – $22,550,788 ($22,550,788 total) {week 1}
20. Shrek – $332,543 ($265,883,866 total) {week 21}
23. Pearl Harbor – $226,733 ($197,761,540 total) {week 20}
26. Ghost World – $196,757 ($5,376,744 total) {week 12}
60. Divided We Fall – $33,117 ($1,135,735 total) {week 18}
999. Moulin Rouge! – $27,875 ($56,628,845 total) {week 21}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Training Day – $32,551,226 ($32,551,226 total)
20. Shrek – $480,013 ($383,793,496 total)
23. Pearl Harbor – $327,281 ($285,461,446 total)
26. Ghost World – $284,011 ($7,761,130 total)
60. Divided We Fall – $47,803 ($1,639,391 total)
999. Moulin Rouge! – $40,237 ($81,741,637 total)

Oscar Details:

• Divided We Fall: Foreign Language Film
• Ghost World: Adapted Screenplay
• Moulin Rouge!: Picture, Actress (Nicole Kidman), Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Makeup, Sound
• Pearl Harbor: Original Song (“There You’ll Be”), Sound, Sound Editing [O], Visual Effects
• Shrek: Animated Feature [O], Adapted Screenplay
• Training Day: Actor (Denzel Washington [O]), Supporting Actor (Ethan Hawke)

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 4-6, 1996

Weekend Box Office:

1. First Wives Club – $11,017,356 ($58,491,416 total) {week 3}
3. That Thing You Do! – $6,208,595 ($6,208,595 total) {week 1}
8. Fly Away Home – $2,014,882 ($15,850,522 total) {week 4}
9. Independence Day – $1,480,901 ($295,730,534 total) {week 14}
999. The Rock – $194,616 ($133,406,846 total) {week 18}
999. Secrets & Lies – $189,050 ($294,677 total) {week 2}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. First Wives Club – $20,364,660 ($108,116,486 total)
3. That Thing You Do! – $11,476,068 ($11,476,068 total)
8. Fly Away Home – $3,724,341 ($29,298,363 total)
9. Independence Day – $2,737,322 ($546,633,136 total)
999. The Rock – $359,731 ($246,591,387 total)
999. Secrets & Lies – $349,443 ($544,686 total)

Oscar Details:

• First Wives Club: Original Comedy or Musical Score
• Fly Away Home: Cinematography
• Independence Day: Sound, Visual Effects [O]
• The Rock: Sound
• Secrets & Lies: Picture, Director, Actress (Brenda Blethyn), Supporting Actress (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), Original Screenplay
• That Thing You Do!: Original Song (“That Thing You Do”)

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 4-6, 1991

Weekend Box Office:

1. The Fisher King – $6,103,250 ($16,089,470 total) {week 3}
11. Terminator 2: Judgment Day – $1,009,981 ($197,063,519 total) {week 14}
13. Rambling Rose – $876,147 ($2,798,439 total) {week 3}
14. The Commitments – $781,664 ($11,872,424 total) {week 8}
999. Barton Fink – $569,869 ($4,133,142 total) {week 7}
999. The Silence of the Lambs – $57,285 ($130,719,208 total) {week 34}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. The Fisher King – $11,844,074 ($31,223,508 total)
11. Terminator 2: Judgment Day – $1,959,987 ($382,424,929 total)
13. Rambling Rose – $1,700,266 ($5,430,700 total)
14. The Commitments – $1,516,911 ($23,039,835 total)
999. Barton Fink – $1,105,898 ($8,020,848 total)
999. The Silence of the Lambs – $111,168 ($253,675,993 total)

Oscar Details:

• Barton Fink: Supporting Actor (Michael Lerner), Art Direction, Costume Design
• The Commitments: Film Editing
• The Fisher King: Actor (Robin Williams), Supporting Actress (Mercedes Ruehl) [O], Original Screenplay, Original Score, Art Direction
• Rambling Rose: Actress (Laura Dern), Supporting Actress (Diane Ladd)
• 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]

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 3-5, 1986

Weekend Box Office:

1. Crocodile Dundee – $8,207,503 ($19,544,717 total) {week 2}
3. Top Gun – $2,405,090 ($150,727,739 total) {week 21}
4. Stand By Me – $2,396,982 ($31,074,139 total) {week 9}
5. Children of a Lesser God – $1,909,084 ($1,909,084 total) {week 1}
7. The Karate Kid Part II – $1,157,805 ($109,535,433 total) {week 16}
10. The Fly – $812,422 ($33,815,680 total) {week 8}
12. Aliens – $744,462 ($76,308,441 total) {week 12}
999. Blue Velvet – $597,584 ($2,623,882 total) {week 3}
999. Round Midnight – $25,384 ($25,384 total) {week 1}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Crocodile Dundee – $18,074,205 ($43,040,522 total)
3. Top Gun – $5,296,384 ($331,926,045 total)
4. Stand By Me – $5,278,529 ($68,430,112 total)
5. Children of a Lesser God – $4,204,101 ($4,204,101 total)
7. The Karate Kid Part II – $2,549,668 ($241,214,148 total)
10. The Fly – $1,789,080 ($74,467,414 total)
12. Aliens – $1,639,422 ($168,043,117 total)
999. Blue Velvet – $1,315,973 ($5,778,198 total)
999. Round Midnight – $55,900 ($55,900 total)

Oscar Details:

• Aliens: Actress (Sigourney Weaver), Original Score, Film Editing, Art Direction, Sound, Sound Effects Editing [O], Visual Effects [O]
• Blue Velvet: Director
• Children of a Lesser God: Picture, Actor (William Hurt), Actress (Marlee Matlin [O]), Supporting Actress (Piper Laurie), Adapted Screenplay
• Crocodile Dundee: Original Screenplay
• The Fly: Makeup [O]
• The Karate Kid Part II: Original Song (“Glory of Love”)
• Round Midnight:
• Stand By Me: Adapted Screenplay
• Top Gun: Original Song (“Take My Breath Away” [O]), Editing, Sound, Sound Effects