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

La La Land (Limited)

Oscar Potential: Picture, Director, Actor (Ryan Gosling), Actress (Emma Stone), Original Screenplay, Original Score, Original Song, Film Editing, Cinematography, Sound Mixing.

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Dec. 16-18, 2011

Weekend Box Office:

7. Hugo – $3,707,848 ($39,155,709 total) {week 4}
9. The Muppets – $3,520,926 ($70,994,571 total) {week 4}
11. The Descendants – $3,268,357 ($28,645,909 total) {week 5}
16. My Week with Marilyn – $591,385 ($6,087,130 total) {week 4}
17. Puss in Boots – $465,209 ($142,775,402 total) {week 8}
18. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – $456,777 ($879,548 total) {week 2}
21. The Artist – $287,367 ($1,327,520 total) {week 4}
30. Margin Call – $98,178 ($5,114,429 total) {week 9}
32. Real Steel – $80,352 ($83,737,282 total) {week 11}
35. Moneyball – $75,535 ($74,317,363 total) {week 13}
36. The Help – $72,053 ($169,345,705 total) {week 19}
39. Midnight in Paris – $53,678 ($56,293,474 total) {week 31}
42. The Ides of March – $45,589 ($40,567,824 total) {week 11}
43. Drive – $41,947 ($34,746,353 total) {week 14}
92. Hell and Back Again – $346 ($34,637 total) {week 11}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

7. Hugo – $3,820,065 ($40,340,749 total)
9. The Muppets – $3,627,486 ($73,143,209 total)
11. The Descendants – $3,367,273 ($29,512,872 total)
16. My Week with Marilyn – $609,283 ($6,271,356 total)
17. Puss in Boots – $479,288 ($147,096,473 total)
18. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – $470,601 ($906,167 total)
21. The Artist – $296,064 ($1,367,697 total)
30. Margin Call – $101,149 ($5,269,216 total)
32. Real Steel – $82,784 ($86,271,576 total)
35. Moneyball – $77,821 ($76,566,564 total)
36. The Help – $74,234 ($174,470,922 total)
39. Midnight in Paris – $55,303 ($57,997,186 total)
42. The Ides of March – $46,969 ($41,795,602 total)
43. Drive – $43,217 ($35,797,945 total)
92. Hell and Back Again – $356 ($35,685 total)

Oscar Details:

• The Artist: Picture [O], Directing [O], Actor (Jean Dujardin) [O], Supporting Actress (Bérénice Bejo), Original Screenplay, Original Score [O], Film Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design [O]
• The Descendants: Picture, Directing, Actor (George Clooney), Adapted Screenplay [O], Film Editing
• Drive: Sound Editing
• Hell and Back Again: Documentary Feature
• The Help: Picture, Actress (Viola Davis), Supporting Actress (Jessica Chastain, Octavia Spencer [O])
• Hugo: Picture, Directing, Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, Film Editing, Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Costume Design, Sound Mixing [O], Sound Editing [O], Visual Effects [O]
• The Ides of March: Adapted Screenplay
• Margin Call: Original 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
• The Muppets: Original Song (“Man or Muppet”)
• My Week with Marilyn: Actress (Michelle Williams), Supporting Actor (Kenneth Branagh)
• Puss in Boots: Animated Feature
• Real Steel: Visual Effects
• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: Actor (Gary Oldman), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Dec. 15-17, 2006

Weekend Box Office:

1. The Pursuit of Happyness – $26,541,709 ($26,541,709 total) {week 1}
4. Happy Feet – $8,358,421 ($149,244,791 total) {week 5}
6. Apocalypto – $8,008,126 ($28,209,532 total) {week 2}
7. Blood Diamond – $6,517,471 ($18,637,257 total) {week 2}
14. Borat – $1,543,840 ($122,813,553 total) {week 7}
15. The Queen – $666,687 ($25,646,953 total) {week 12}
17. Babel – $495,750 ($18,320,965 total) {week 8}
19. Dreamgirls – $378,950 ($378,950 total) {week 1}
21. The Departed – $341,300 ($119,273,628 total) {week 11}
22. Volver – $313,413 ($2,865,369 total) {week 7}
33. Little Children – $77,587 ($2,036,841 total) {week 11}
34. The Good German – $76,817 ($76,817 total) {week 1}
37. The Prestige – $58,699 ($52,021,500 total) {week 9}
38. Little Miss Sunshine – $58,074 ($59,315,777 total) {week 21}
46. The Illusionist – $35,492 ($39,682,791 total) {week 18}
49. The Last King of Scotland – $33,206 ($3,535,251 total) {week 12}
63. Jesus Camp – $8,442 ($855,587 total) {week 14}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. The Pursuit of Happyness – $33,106,223 ($33,106,223 total)
4. Happy Feet – $10,425,695 ($186,157,243 total)
6. Apocalypto – $9,988,762 ($35,186,546 total)
7. Blood Diamond – $8,129,426 ($23,246,777 total)
14. Borat – $1,925,675 ($153,188,813 total)
15. The Queen – $831,578 ($31,990,169 total)
17. Babel – $618,363 ($22,852,257 total)
19. Dreamgirls – $472,675 ($472,675 total)
21. The Departed – $425,713 ($148,773,365 total)
22. Volver – $390,929 ($3,574,056 total)
33. Little Children – $96,776 ($2,540,609 total)
34. The Good German – $95,816 ($95,816 total)
37. The Prestige – $73,217 ($64,887,886 total)
38. Little Miss Sunshine – $72,437 ($73,986,244 total)
46. The Illusionist – $44,270 ($49,497,466 total)
49. The Last King of Scotland – $41,419 ($4,409,618 total)
63. Jesus Camp – $10,530 ($1,067,198 total)

Oscar Details:

• Apocalypto: Makeup, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing
• Babel: Picture, Supporting Actress (Adriana Barraza, Rinko Kikuchi), Director, Original Screenplay, Original Score [O], Editing
• Blood Diamond: Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio), Supporting Actor (Djimon Hounsou), Editing, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing
• Borat: Adapted Screenplay
• The Departed: Picture [O], Director [O], Supporting Actor (Mark Wahlberg), Adapted Screenplay [O], Editing
• Dreamgirls: Supporting Actor (Eddie Murphy), Supporting Actress (Jennifer Hudson) [O], Original Song (“Listen”, “Love You I Do”, “Patience”), Art Direction, Costume Design, Sound [O]
• The Good German: Original Score
• Happy Feet: Animated Feature [O]
• The Illusionist: Cinematography
• 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]
• The Prestige: Cinematography, Art Direction
• The Pursuit of Happyness: Actor (Will Smith)
• The Queen: Picture, Director, Actress (Helen Mirren [O]), Original Screenplay, Original Score, Costume Design
• Volver: Actress (Penelope Cruz)

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Dec. 14-16, 2001

Weekend Box Office:

1. Vanilla Sky – $25,015,518 ($25,015,518 total) {week 1}
4. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – $9,919,596 ($253,269,579 total) {week 5}
6. Monsters, Inc. – $4,980,223 ($218,815,112 total) {week 7}
10. Amelie – $773,164 ($12,513,841 total) {week 7}
15. The Royal Tenenbaums – $276,981 ($276,981 total) {week 1}
18. Training Day – $229,348 ($76,074,739 total) {week 11}
20. The Man Who Wasn’t There – $225,257 ($6,330,513 total) {week 7}
34. In the Bedroom – $72,787 ($484,447 total) {week 4}
35. Mulholland Drive – $70,135 ($5,367,713 total) {week 10}
43. The Affair of the Necklace – $43,118 ($347,862 total) {week 3}
54. Moulin Rouge! – $21,397 ($56,987,332 total) {week 31}
56. No Man’s Land – $20,949 ($54,078 total) {week 2}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Vanilla Sky – $36,108,972 ($36,108,972 total)
4. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – $14,318,569 ($365,585,240 total)
6. Monsters, Inc. – $7,188,767 ($315,851,496 total)
10. Amelie – $1,116,034 ($18,063,265 total)
15. The Royal Tenenbaums – $399,812 ($399,812 total)
18. Training Day – $331,055 ($109,811,063 total)
20. The Man Who Wasn’t There – $325,150 ($9,137,861 total)
34. In the Bedroom – $105,065 ($699,281 total)
35. Mulholland Drive – $101,237 ($7,748,095 total)
43. The Affair of the Necklace – $62,239 ($502,126 total)
54. Moulin Rouge! – $30,886 ($82,259,099 total)
56. No Man’s Land – $30,239 ($78,060 total)

Oscar Details:

• The Affair of the Necklace: Costume Design
• Amelie: Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Art Direction, Sound, Foreign Language Film
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: Original Score, Art Direction, Costume Design
• In the Bedroom: Picture, Actor (Tom Wilkinson), Actress (Sissy Spacek), Supporting Actress (Marisa Tomei), Adapted Screenplay
• The Man Who Wasn’t There: Cinematography
• Monsters, Inc.: Animated Feature, Original Song (If I Didn’t Have You [O]), Original Score, Sound Editing
• Moulin Rouge!: Picture, Actress (Nicole Kidman), Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Makeup, Sound
• Mulholland Drive: Director
• No Man’s Land: Foreign Language Film
• The Royal Tenenbaums: Original Screenplay
• Training Day: Actor (Denzel Washington [O]), Supporting Actor (Ethan Hawke)
• Vanilla Sky: Original Song (“Vanilla Sky”)

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Dec. 13-15, 1996

Weekend Box Office:

1. Jerry Maguire – $17,084,296 ($17,084,296 total) {week 1}
4. The Preacher’s Wife – $7,649,752 ($7,649,752 total) {week 1}
5. Daylight – $4,137,210 ($16,653,910 total) {week 2}
7. Star Trek: First Contact – $3,432,345 ($76,721,064 total) {week 4}
10. The English Patient – $1,779,831 ($16,015,227 total) {week 5}
11. The Mirror Has Two Faces – $1,002,631 ($39,055,749 total) {week 5}
999. The Crucible – $74,409 ($282,924 total) {week 3}
999. Independence Day – $36,769 ($306,124,059 total) {week 24}
999. Shine – $135,266 ($943,978 total) {week 4}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Jerry Maguire – $31,578,891 ($31,578,891 total)
4. The Preacher’s Wife – $14,139,926 ($14,139,926 total)
5. Daylight – $7,647,286 ($30,783,359 total)
7. Star Trek: First Contact – $6,344,402 ($141,812,464 total)
10. The English Patient – $3,289,869 ($29,602,806 total)
11. The Mirror Has Two Faces – $1,853,279 ($72,191,283 total)
999. The Crucible – $137,539 ($522,961 total)
999. Independence Day – $67,964 ($565,844,697 total)
999. Shine – $250,028 ($1,744,864 total)

Oscar Details:

• The Crucible: Supporting Actress (Joan Allen), Adapted Screenplay
• Daylight: Sound Effects Editing
• The English Patient: Picture [O], Director [O], Actor (Ralph Fiennes), Actress (Kristin Scott Thomas), Supporting Actress (Juliette Binoche [O]), Adapted Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score [O], Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Sound [O]
• Independence Day: Sound, Visual Effects [O]
• Jerry Maguire: Picture, Actor (Tom Cruise), Supporting Actor (Cuba Gooding Jr.) [O], Original Screenplay, Film Editing
• The Mirror Has Two Faces: Supporting Actress (Lauren Bacall), Original Song (“I’ve Finally Found Someone”)
• The Preacher’s Wife: Original Musical or Comedy Score
• Shine: Picture, Director, Actor (Geoffrey Rush) [O], Supporting Actor (Armin Mueller-Stahl), Original Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score, Editing
• Star Trek: First Contact: Makeup

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Dec. 13-15, 1991

Weekend Box Office:

1. Hook – $13,522,535 ($17,059,705 total) {week 1}
3. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country – $7,791,912 ($30,432,868 total) {week 2}
4. The Addams Family – $4,721,221 ($73,648,514 total) {week 4}
5. Beauty and the Beast – $4,575,124 ($39,967,102 total) {week 5}
7. Cape Fear – $2,944,725 ($50,405,747 total) {week 5}
8. For the Boys – $1,476,304 ($12,026,940 total) {week 4}
999. Bugsy – $140,358 ($140,358 total) {week 1}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Hook – $26,242,069 ($33,106,363 total)
3. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country – $15,121,121 ($59,058,559 total)
4. The Addams Family – $9,162,084 ($142,923,601 total)
5. Beauty and the Beast – $8,878,566 ($77,560,861 total)
7. Cape Fear – $5,714,585 ($97,818,279 total)
8. For the Boys – $2,864,941 ($23,339,691 total)
999. Bugsy – $272,381 ($272,381 total)

Oscar Details:

• The Addams Family: Costume Design
• Beauty and the Beast: Picture, Original Song (“Be Our Guest”, “Beauty and the Beast” [O], “Belle”), Original Score [O], Sound
• Bugsy: Picture, Directing, Actor (Warren Beatty), Supporting Actor (Harvey Keitel, Ben Kingsley), Original Screenplay, Original Score, Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O]
• Cape Fear: Actor (Robert De Niro), Supporting Actress (Juliette Lewis)
• For the Boys: Actress (Bette Midler)
• Hook: Original Song (“When You’re Alone”), Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup, Visual Effects
• Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country: Makeup, Visual Effects

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Dec. 12-14, 1986

Weekend Box Office:

3. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home – $5,062,450 ($46,573,341 total) {week 3}
4. Heartbreak Ridge – $4,721,454 ($15,728,614 total) {week 2}
5. An American Tail – $2,613,420 ($23,672,203 total) {week 4}
6. Crocodile Dundee – $2,273,536 ($102,855,724 total) {week 12}
7. Crimes of the Heart – $1,402,921 ($1,402,921 total) {week 1}
9. Peggy Sue Got Married – $820,264 ($37,848,832 total) {week 10}
10. The Color of Money – $694,431 ($42,719,446 total) {week 9}
11. Stand By Me – $500,692 ($47,361,304 total) {week 19}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

3. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home – $11,148,306 ($102,561,778 total)
4. Heartbreak Ridge – $10,397,380 ($34,636,867 total)
5. An American Tail – $5,755,159 ($52,129,892 total)
6. Crocodile Dundee – $5,006,682 ($226,504,384 total)
7. Crimes of the Heart – $3,089,451 ($3,089,451 total)
9. Peggy Sue Got Married – $1,806,350 ($83,349,045 total)
10. The Color of Money – $1,529,246 ($94,074,899 total)
11. Stand By Me – $1,102,602 ($104,296,996 total)

Oscar Details:

• An American Tail: Original Song (“Somewhere Out There”)
• The Color of Money: Actor (Paul Newman [O]), Supporting Actress (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), Adapted Screenplay, Art Direction
• Crimes of the Heart: Actress (Sissy Spacek), Supporting Actress (Tess Harper), Adapted Screenplay
• Crocodile Dundee: Original Screenplay
• Heartbreak Ridge: Sound
• Peggy Sue Got Married: Actress (Kathleen Turner), Cinematography, Costume Design
• Stand By Me: Adapted Screenplay
• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home: Original Score, Cinematography, Sound, Sound Effects