Oscar in Box Office History (Week 10, 2016)

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

Zootopia (Wide)

Oscar Potential: Animated Feature.

Cemetery of Splendor (Limited)

Oscar Potential: Foreign Language Film.

Knight of Cups (Limited)

Oscar Potential: Cinematography.

The Wave (Limited)

Oscar Potential: Foreign Language Film.

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Mar. 11-13, 2011

Weekend Box Office:

Rango – $22,602,847 ($68,206,101 total) {week 2}
The King’s Speech – $3,573,112 ($129,010,235 total) {week 16}
Tangled – $640,753 ($196,675,983 total) {week 16}
The Fighter – $576,083 ($92,931,288 total) {week 14}
Black Swan – $440,504 ($105,928,217 total) {week 15}
True Grit – $424,943 ($169,381,405 total) {week 12}
Barney’s Version – $256,709 ($3,568,837 total) {week 9}
Biutiful – $184,758 ($4,528,281 total) {week 7}
Jane Eyre – $182,885 ($182,885 total) {week 1}
Tron: Legacy – $140,564 ($171,590,201 total) {week 13}
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I – $98,855 ($294,713,608 total) {week 17}
The Illusionist – $80,212 ($1,867,838 total) {week 11}
Another Year – $67,599 ($3,007,895 total) {week 11}
Blue Valentine – $60,909 ($9,514,428 total) {week 11}
127 Hours – $50,387 ($18,236,586 total) {week 19}
Inside Job – $47,880 ($4,193,818 total) {week 23}
Rabbit Hole – $25,580 ($2,159,558 total) {week 13}
Winter’s Bone – $4,580 ($6,527,448 total) {week 40}
Waste Land – $2,555 ($185,387 total) {week 20}
Animal Kingdom – $1,042 ($1,043,798 total) {week 31}
Dogtooth – $370 ($107,410 total) {week 38}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Rango – $23,286,918 ($70,270,346 total)
The King’s Speech – $3,681,252 ($132,914,706 total)
Tangled – $660,145 ($202,628,346 total)
The Fighter – $593,518 ($95,743,836 total)
Black Swan – $453,836 ($109,134,115 total)
True Grit – $437,804 ($174,507,702 total)
Barney’s Version – $264,478 ($3,676,847 total)
Biutiful – $190,350 ($4,665,329 total)
Jane Eyre – $188,420 ($188,420 total)
Tron: Legacy – $144,818 ($176,783,347 total)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I – $101,847 ($303,633,061 total)
The Illusionist – $82,640 ($1,924,368 total)
Another Year – $69,645 ($3,098,928 total)
Blue Valentine – $62,752 ($9,802,380 total)
127 Hours – $51,912 ($18,788,513 total)
Inside Job – $49,329 ($4,320,743 total)
Rabbit Hole – $26,354 ($2,224,917 total)
Winter’s Bone – $4,719 ($6,725,000 total)
Waste Land – $2,632 ($190,998 total)
Animal Kingdom – $1,074 ($1,075,388 total)
Dogtooth – $381 ($110,661 total)

Oscar Details:

127 Hours: Picture, Actor (James Franco), Adapted Screenplay, Original Song (“If I Rise”), Editing
Animal Kingdom: Supporting Actress (Jacki Weaver)
Another Year: Original Screenplay
Barney’s Version: Makeup
Biutiful: Actor (Javier Bardem), Foreign Language Film
Black Swan: Picture, Direcing, Actress (Natalie Portman) [O], Editing, Cinematography
Blue Valentine: Actress (Michelle Williams)
Dogtooth: Foreign Language Film
The Fighter: Picture, Directing, Supporting Actor (Christian Bale) [O], Supporting Actress (Amy Adams, Melissa Leo [O]), Original Screenplay, Editing
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I: Art Direction, Visual Effects
The Illusionist: Animated Feature
Inside Job: Documentary Feature
Jane Eyre: Costume Design
The King’s Speech: Picture [O], Directing [O], Actor (Colin Firth) [O], Supporting Actor (Geoffrey Rush), Supporting Actress (Helena Bonham Carter), Original Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design, Sound Mixing
Rabbit Hole: Actress (Nicole Kidman)
Rango: Animated Feature [O]
Tangled: Original Song (“I See the Light”)
Tron: Legacy: Sound Editing
True Grit: Picture, Directing, Actor (Jeff Bridges), Supporting Actress (Hailee Steinfeld), Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing
Waste Land: Documentary Feature
Winter’s Bone: Picture, Actress (Jennifer Lawrence), Supporting Actor (John Hawkes), Adapted Screenplay

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Mar. 10-12, 2006

Weekend Box Office:

Brokeback Mountain – $1,187,084 ($80,983,058 total) {week 14}
Capote – $1,040,598 ($27,060,267 total) {week 24}
Transamerica – $612,107 ($7,655,572 total) {week 15}
Mrs. Henderson Presents – $517,044 ($9,376,251 total) {week 14}
Crash – $342,709 ($53,747,526 total) {week 45}
Walk the Line – $342,670 ($118,808,286 total) {week 17}
Syriana – $284,049 ($49,978,285 total) {week 16}
King Kong – $267,655 ($217,295,200 total) {week 13}
Tsotsi – $260,027 ($470,438 total) {week 3}
Match Point – $250,366 ($22,837,891 total) {week 11}
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – $241,620 ($289,178,946 total) {week 14}
Munich – $230,850 ($47,113,190 total) {week 12}
Good Night, and Good Luck. – $172,346 ($31,501,218 total) {week 23}
Memoirs of a Geisha – $116,783 ($57,010,853 total) {week 14}
Joyeux Noel – $73,710 ($371,612 total) {week 13}
The New World – $54,607 ($12,565,443 total) {week 12}
Days of Glory – $26,327 ($232,766 total) {week 14}
The Squid and the Whale – $34,014 ($7,332,333 total) {week 23}
Sophie Scholl – $32,108 ($168,092 total) {week 4}
Paradise Now – $16,511 ($1,431,310 total) {week 20}
Darwin’s Nightmare – $3,606 ($177,561 total) {week 32}
Evil – $2,448 ($2,448 total) {week 1}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Brokeback Mountain – $1,480,683 ($101,012,456 total)
Capote – $1,297,967 ($33,753,035 total)
Transamerica – $763,498 ($9,549,011 total)
Mrs. Henderson Presents – $644,924 ($11,695,263 total)
Crash – $427,471 ($67,040,807 total)
Walk the Line – $427,422 ($148,192,931 total)
Syriana – $354,302 ($62,339,326 total)
King Kong – $333,854 ($271,038,440 total)
Tsotsi – $324,339 ($586,791 total)
Match Point – $312,289 ($28,486,346 total)
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – $301,379 ($360,701,067 total)
Munich – $287,946 ($58,765,613 total)
Good Night, and Good Luck. – $214,972 ($39,292,359 total)
Memoirs of a Geisha – $145,667 ($71,111,247 total)
Joyeux Noel – $91,941 ($463,522 total)
The New World – $68,113 ($15,673,232 total)
Days of Glory – $32,838 ($290,336 total)
The Squid and the Whale – $42,427 ($9,145,826 total)
Sophie Scholl – $40,049 ($209,666 total)
Paradise Now – $20,595 ($1,785,313 total)
Darwin’s Nightmare – $4,498 ($221,477 total)
Evil – $3,053 ($3,053 total)

Oscar Details:

Brokeback Mountain: Picture, Directing [O], Actor (Heath Ledger), Supporting Actor (Jake Gyllenhaal), Supporting Actress (Michelle Williams), Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score [O], Cinematography
Capote: Picture, Directing, Actor (Philip Seymour Hoffman) [O], Supporting Actress (Catherine Keener), Adapted Screenplay
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: Makeup [O], Sound Mixing, Visual Effects
Crash: Picture [O], Directing, Supporting Actor (Matt Dillon), Original Screenplay [O], Original Song (“In the Deep”), Editing [O]
Darwin’s Nightmare: Documentary Feature
Days of Glory: Foreign Language Film
Evil: Foreign Language Film
Good Night, and Good Luck.: Picture, Directing, Actor (David Strathairn), Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Art Direction
Joyeux Noel: Foreign Language Film
King Kong: Art Direction, Sound Mixing [O], Sound Editing [O], Visual Effects [O]
Match Point: Original Screenplay
Memoirs of a Geisha: Original Score, Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Sound Mixing, Sound Editing
Mrs. Henderson Presents: Actress (Judi Dench), Costume Design
Munich: Picture, Directing, Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, Editing
The New World: Cinematography
Paradise Now: Foreign Language Film
Sophie Scholl: Foreign Language Film
The Squid and the Whale: Original Screenplay
Syriana: Supporting Actor (George Clooney) [O], Original Screenplay
Transamerica: Actress (Felicity Huffman), Original Song (“Travelin’ Thru”)
Tsotsi: Foreign Language Film [O]
Walk the Line: Actor (Joaquin Phoenix), Actress (Reese Witherspoon) [O], Editing, Costume Design, Sound Mixing

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Mar. 9-11, 2001

Weekend Box Office:

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – $4,256,899 ($94,512,927 total) {week 14}
Traffic – $3,938,085 ($97,543,804 total) {week 11}
Chocolat – $3,843,988 ($51,027,559 total) {week 13}
O Brother, Where Art Thou? – $1,705,723 ($33,103,683 total) {week 12}
Cast Away – $1,554,438 ($225,901,006 total) {week 12}
Pollock – $767,009 ($2,747,673 total) {week 13}
You Can Count on Me – $270,720 ($8,009,756 total) {week 18}
Before Night Falls – $254,969 ($3,149,756 total) {week 12}
102 Dalmatians – $233,654 ($66,109,921 total) {week 16}
The Emperor’s New Groove – $221,795 ($86,375,554 total) {week 13}
Shadow of the Vampire – $207,892 ($7,866,116 total) {week 11}
Billy Elliot – $183,595 ($20,893,760 total) {week 22}
Meet the Parents – $161,805 ($165,989,170 total) {week 23}
Malena – $110,917 ($3,136,679 total) {week 12}
Quills – $68,885 ($6,742,291 total) {week 16}
Almost Famous – $55,228 ($32,419,300 total) {week 26}
Gladiator – $24,593 ($186,789,524 total) {week 45}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – $6,144,676 ($136,425,903 total)
Traffic – $5,684,480 ($140,800,862 total)
Chocolat – $5,548,654 ($73,656,388 total)
O Brother, Where Art Thou? – $2,462,148 ($47,783,938 total)
Cast Away – $2,243,774 ($326,079,721 total)
Pollock – $1,107,149 ($3,966,164 total)
You Can Count on Me – $390,774 ($11,561,786 total)
Before Night Falls – $368,038 ($4,546,556 total)
102 Dalmatians – $337,271 ($95,427,218 total)
The Emperor’s New Groove – $320,153 ($124,679,907 total)
Shadow of the Vampire – $300,084 ($11,354,447 total)
Billy Elliot – $265,013 ($30,159,367 total)
Meet the Parents – $233,560 ($239,599,208 total)
Malena – $160,105 ($4,527,680 total)
Quills – $99,433 ($9,732,247 total)
Almost Famous – $79,720 ($46,796,057 total)
Gladiator – $35,499 ($269,623,748 total)

Oscar Details:

102 Dalmatians: Costume Design
Almost Famous: Supporting Actress (Kate Hudson, Frances McDormand), Original Screenplay [O], Editing
Before Night Falls: Actor (Javier Bardem)
Billy Elliot: Directing, Supporting Actress (Julie Walters), Original Screenplay
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]
The Emperor’s New Groove: Original Song (“My Funny Friend and Me”)
Gladiator: Picture [O], Directing, Actor (Russell Crowe) [O], Supporting Actor (Joaquin Phoenix) [O], Original Screenplay, Original Score, Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design [O], Sound [O], Visual Effects [O]
Malena: Original Score, Cinematography
Meet the Parents: Original Song (“A Fool in Love”)
O Brother, Where Art Thou?: Cinematography
Pollock: Actor (Ed Harris), Supporting Actress (Marcia Gay Harden) [O]
Quills: Actor (Geoffrey Rush), Art Direction, Costume Design
Shadow of the Vampire: Supporting Actor (Willem Dafoe), Makeup
Traffic: Picture, Directing [O], Supporting Actor (Benicio Del Toro) [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Editing [O]
You Can Count on Me: Actress (Laura Linney), Original Screenplay

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Mar. 8-10, 1996

Weekend Box Office:

The Birdcage – $18,275,828 ($18,275,828 total) {week 1}
Up Close and Personal – $8,012,357 ($22,235,253 total) {week 2}
Mr. Holland’s Opus – $3,043,631 ($66,593,356 total) {week 11}
Dead Man Walking – $1,689,639 ($26,426,679 total) {week 11}
Sense and Sensibility – $1,102,334 ($36,267,860 total) {week 13}
All Things Fair – $4,530 ($4,530 total) {week 1}
Braveheart – $523,855 ($72,372,874 total) {week 42}
Fargo – $730,265 ($730,265 total) {week 1}
The Star Maker – $40,915 ($40,915 total) {week 1}
Toy Story – $267,721 ($184,205,561 total) {week 16}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

The Birdcage – $33,781,338 ($33,781,338 total)
Up Close and Personal – $14,810,171 ($41,100,004 total)
Mr. Holland’s Opus – $5,625,897 ($123,092,244 total)
Dead Man Walking – $3,123,156 ($48,847,504 total)
Sense and Sensibility – $2,037,572 ($67,038,103 total)
All Things Fair – $8,373 ($8,373 total)
Braveheart – $968,302 ($133,775,199 total)
Fargo – $1,349,834 ($1,349,834 total)
The Star Maker – $75,628 ($75,628 total)
Toy Story – $494,860 ($340,488,560 total)

Oscar Details:

All Things Fair: Foreign Language Film
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]
Dead Man Walking: Directing, Actor (Sean Penn), Actress (Susan Sarandon) [O], Original Song (“Dead Man Walkin’”)
Fargo: Picture, Director, Actress (Frances McDormand) [O], Supporting Actor (William H Macy), Original Screenplay [O], Editing, Cinematography
Mr. Holland’s Opus: Actor (Richard Dreyfuss)
Sense and Sensibility: Picture, Actress (Emma Thompson), Supporting Actress (Kate Winslet), Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Dramatic Score, Cinematography, Costume Design
The Star Maker: Foreign Language Film
Toy Story: Original Screenplay, Original Song (“You’ve Got a Friend in Me”), Original Musical or Comedy Score
Up Close and Personal: Original Song (“Because You Loved Me”)

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Mar. 8-10, 1991

Weekend Box Office:

The Silence of the Lambs – $8,893,306 ($58,125,470 total) {week 4}
Dances With Wolves – $3,381,254 ($127,243,233 total) {week 18}
Home Alone – $3,315,651 ($245,880,904 total) {week 17}
Awakenings – $986,300 ($45,719,982 total) {week 12}
Ju Dou (Foreign) – $10,300 ($12,897 total) {week 1}
Open Doors (Foreign) – $15,726 ($15,726 total) {week 1}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

The Silence of the Lambs – $17,258,506 ($112,799,309 total)
Dances With Wolves – $6,561,721 ($246,930,455 total)
Home Alone – $6,434,411 ($477,160,804 total)
Awakenings – $1,914,031 ($88,725,001 total)
Ju Dou (Foreign) – $19,988 ($25,028 total)
Open Doors (Foreign) – $30,518 ($30,518 total)

Oscar Details:

Awakenings: Picture, Actor (Robert De Niro), Adapted Screenplay
Dances With Wolves: Picture [O], Directing [O], Actor (Kevin Costner), Supporting Actor (Graham Greene), Supporting Actress (Mary McDonnell), Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score [O], Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Art Direction, Costume Design, Sound [O]
Home Alone: Original Song (“Somewhere in My Memory”), Original Score
Ju Dou (Foreign):
Open Doors (Foreign):
The Silence of the Lambs: Picture [O], Directing [O], Actor (Anthony Hopkins) [O], Actress (Jodie Foster) [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Film Editing, Sound

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Mar. 7-9, 1986

Weekend Box Office:

The Color Purple – $3,636,677 ($69,259,825 total) {week 12}
Hannah and Her Sisters – $3,264,242 ($13,413,040 total) {week 5}
Murphy’s Romance – $1,694,127 ($22,591,116 total) {week 11}
Out of Africa – $1,536,668 ($67,718,811 total) {week 12}
Back to the Future – $500,500 ($201,807,130 total) {week 36}
A Room with a View – $42,970 ($42,970 total) {week 1}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

The Color Purple – $8,008,531 ($152,520,962 total)
Hannah and Her Sisters – $7,188,371 ($29,537,611 total)
Murphy’s Romance – $3,730,733 ($49,749,169 total)
Out of Africa – $3,383,983 ($149,127,409 total)
Back to the Future – $1,102,179 ($444,410,850 total)
A Room with a View – $94,627 ($94,627 total)

Oscar Details:

Back to the Future: Original Screenplay, Original Song (“The Power of Love’), Sound, Sound Effects Editing [O]
The Color Purple: Picture, Actress (Whoopi Goldberg), Supporting Actress (Margaret Avery, Oprah Winfrey), Adapted Screenplay, Original Song (“Miss Celie’s Blues (Sister)”)
Hannah and Her Sisters: Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Michael Caine) [O], Supporting Actress (Dianne Wiest) [O], Original Screenplay [O], Film Editing, Art Direction
Murphy’s Romance: Actor (James Garner), Cinematography
Out of Africa: Picture [O], Directing [O], Actress (Meryl Streep), Supporting Actor (Klaus Maria Brandauer), Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score [O], Film Editing, Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Costume Design, Sound [O]
A Room with a View: Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Denholm Elliott), Supporting Actress (Maggie Smith), Adapted Screenplay [O], Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O]