Every week, we’ll take a look back 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years into the box office past to explore how Oscar’s nominees were doing at the box office that weekend historically. All data is taken from Box Office Mojo. The first section under each year is the positioning of all Oscar nominees during that weekend at the box office. The second 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 chance at this stage of the game. Please let us know if you like our new feature or if you want to see more information and we’ll see what we can do!

This Year: Potential Oscar Nominees Releasing This Weekend

The Hunger Games (Wide)

Oscar Potential: Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects.

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Mar. 23-25, 2007

Weekend Box Office:

17. Norbit – $965,543 ($94,053,460 total) {week 7}
19. The Lives of Others – $742,648 ($5,672,720 total) {week 7}
23. Happy Feet – $395,313 ($197,207,309 total) {week 19}
26. Pan’s Labyrinth – $251,003 ($36,673,437 total) {week 13}
30. The Last King of Scotland – $152,661 ($17,170,865 total) {week 26}
33. Blood Diamond – $132,669 ($57,194,978 total) {week 16}
36. The Queen – $117,419 ($56,002,774 total) {week 26}
44. Dreamgirls – $60,710 ($103,011,182 total) {week 15}
45. Volver – $60,358 ($12,769,690 total) {week 21}
49. Notes on a Scandal – $48,105 ($17,333,306 total) {week 13}
56. Little Children – $27,500 ($5,414,998 total) {week 25}
57. Venus – $23,002 ($3,311,430 total) {week 14}
62. Letters from Iwo Jima – $19,282 ($13,646,221 total) {week 14}
66. The Good German – $16,524 ($1,271,130 total) {week 15}
68. Days of Glory – $16,067 ($279,467 total) {week 16}
89. Babel – $3,785 ($34,300,771 total) {week 22}
104. The 2006 Academy Award Nominated Short Films – $1,825 ($312,636 total) {week 6}
107. Iraq in Fragments – $1,727 ($165,577 total) {week 20}
115. Borat – $1,260 ($128,505,958 total) {week 21}
118. The Curse of the Golden Flower – $739 ($6,565,495 total) {week 14}
125. Little Miss Sunshine – $245 ($59,889,948 total) {week 35}

Oscar Details:

• The 2006 Academy Award Nominated Short Films: Animated Short Film; Live Action Short Film
• 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 Curse of the Golden Flower: Costume Design
• Days of Glory: Foreign Language Film
• 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]
• Iraq in Fragments: Documentary Feature
• The Last King of Scotland: Actor (Forest Whitaker [O])
• Letters from Iwo Jima: Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Sound Editing [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 Lives of Others: Foreign Language Film
• Norbit: Makeup
• Notes on a Scandal: Actress (Judi Dench), Supporting Actress (Cate Blanchett), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score
• Pan’s Labyrinth: Original Screenplay, Original Score, Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Makeup [O], Foreign Language Film
• The Queen: Picture, Director, Actress (Helen Mirren [O]), Original Screenplay, Original Score, Costume Design
• Venus: Actor (Peter O’Toole)
• Volver: Actress (Penelope Cruz)

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Mar. 22-24, 2002

Weekend Box Office:

2. Ice Age – $30,056,721 ($87,292,481 total) {week 2}
7. The Time Machine – $5,324,159 ($48,158,947 total) {week 3}
9. A Beautiful Mind – $4,081,270 ($154,704,651 total) {week 14}
11. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – $2,363,869 ($297,530,963 total) {week 14}
14. Gosford Park – $1,598,355 ($37,756,788 total) {week 13}
15. Monster’s Ball – $1,557,337 ($19,678,781 total) {week 13}
16. In the Bedroom – $1,290,356 ($34,212,351 total) {week 18}
20. Iris – $570,090 ($3,895,942 total) {week 15}
23. Amelie – $509,106 ($30,353,807 total) {week 21}
24. I Am Sam – $480,805 ($39,433,027 total) {week 13}
26. Y Tu Mama Tambien – $425,916 ($1,028,484 total) {week 2}
29. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – $346,252 ($316,000,087 total) {week 19}
32. Black Hawn Down – $238,773 ($108,264,894 total) {week 13}
40. Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius – $125,796 ($80,529,438 total) {week 14}
55. Monsters, Inc. – $32,177 ($252,753,607 total) {week 21}
56. Mulholland Drive – $31,855 ($7,126,633 total) {week 24}
63. No Man’s Land – $22,418 ($781,458 total) {week 15}
64. Moulin Rouge! – $21,797 ($57,346,683 total) {week 45}

Oscar Details:

• Amelie: Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Art Direction, Sound, Foreign Language Film
• A Beautiful Mind: Picture [O], Director [O], Actor (Russell Crowe), Supporting Actress (Jennifer Connelly) [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing, Makeup
• Black Hawn Down: Director, Editing [O], Cinematography, Sound [O]
• Gosford Park: Picture, Director, Supporting Actress (Helen Mirren, Maggie Smith), Original Screenplay [O], Art Direction, Costume Design
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: Original Score, Art Direction, Costume Design
• I Am Sam: Actor (Sean Penn)
• Ice Age: Animated Feature
• In the Bedroom: Picture, Actor (Tom Wilkinson), Actress (Sissy Spacek), Supporting Actress (Marisa Tomei), Adapted Screenplay
• Iris: Actress (Judi Dench), Supporting Actor (Jim Broadbent) [O], Supporting Actress (Kate Winslet)
• Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius: Animated Feature
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Ian McKellen), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score [O], Original Song (“May It Be”), Editing, Cinematography [O], Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup [O], Sound, Visual Effects [O]
• Monster’s Ball: Actress (Halle Berry) [O], Original Screenplay
• 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 [O]
• The Time Machine: Makeup
• Y Tu Mama Tambien: Original Screenplay

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Mar. 21-23, 1997

Weekend Box Office:

6. Donnie Brasco – $3,316,087 ($36,259,575 total) {week 4}
7. Sling Blade – $3,017,085 ($12,524,591 total) {week 13}
10. The English Patient – $2,015,118 ($63,154,818 total) {week 19}
11. Jerry Maguire – $1,820,775 ($143,039,108 total) {week 15}
14. Shine – $1,060,338 ($32,410,622 total) {week 18}
21. Marvin’s Room – $722,800 ($12,115,143 total) {week 10}
23. Secrets & Lies – $568,984 ($11,768,875 total) {week 14}
999. Evita – $146,652 ($48,830,373 total) {week 13}
999. Fargo – $24,927 ($24,260,557 total) {week 13}

Oscar Details:

• Donnie Brasco: Adapted Screenplay
• 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]
• Evita: Original Song (“You Must Love Me”) [O], Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction, Sound
• Fargo: Picture, Director, Actress (Frances McDormand) [O], Supporting Actor (William H Macy), Original Screenplay [O], Editing, Cinematography
• Jerry Maguire: Picture, Actor (Tom Cruise), Supporting Actor (Cuba Gooding Jr.) [O], Original Screenplay, Film Editing
• Marvin’s Room: Actress (Diane Keaton)
• Secrets & Lies: Picture, Director, Actress (Brenda Blethyn), Supporting Actress (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), Original Screenplay
• Shine: Picture, Director, Actor (Geoffrey Rush) [O], Supporting Actor (Armin Mueller-Stahl), Original Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score, Editing
• Sling Blade: Actor (Billy Bob Thornton), Adapted Screenplay [O]

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Mar. 20-22, 1992

Weekend Box Office:

1. Basic Instinct – $15,129,385 ($15,129,385 total) {week 1}
3. My Cousin Vinny – $7,209,788 ($17,420,706 total) {week 2}
5. Fried Green Tomatoes – $2,897,230 ($61,366,419 total) {week 13}
7. Beauty and the Beast – $1,700,245 ($122,922,207 total) {week 19}
999. Hook – $304,410 ($115,910,054 total) {week 15}
999. Howards End – $49,288 ($146,246 total) {week 2}
999. American Dream – $9,291 ($11,523 total) {week 1}

Oscar Details:

• American Dream: Documentary Feature [O]
• Basic Instinct: Original Score, Editing
• Beauty and the Beast: Picture, Original Score [O], Original Song (“Be Our Guest”, “Beauty and the Beast” [O], “Belle”), Sound
• Fried Green Tomatoes: Supporting Actress (Jessica Tandy), Adapted Screenplay
• Hook: Original Song (“When You’re Alone”), Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup, Visual Effects
• Howards End: Picture, Director, Actress (Emma Thompson) [O], Supporting Actress (Vanessa Redgrave), Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score, Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design
• My Cousin Vinny: Supporting Actress (Marisa Tomei) [O]

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Mar. 20-22, 1987

Weekend Box Office:

3. Platoon – $3,828,038 ($97,263,950 total) {week 14}
6. Mannequin – $2,166,174 ($27,253,045 total) {week 6}
8. Hoosiers – $2,062,348 ($17,784,994 total) {week 11}
12. Crocodile Dundee – $1,239,185 ($157,309,340 total) {week 26}
999. Street Smart – $325,835 ($325,835 total) {week 1}
999. A Room with a View – $158,470 ($13,629,798 total) {week 8}

Oscar Details:

• Crocodile Dundee: Original Screenplay
• Hoosiers: Supporting Actor (Dennis Hopper), Original Score
• Mannequin: Original Song (“Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”)
• Platoon: Picture [O], Director [O], Supporting Actor (Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe), Original Screenplay, Editing [O], Cinematography, 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]
• Street Smart: Supporting Actor (Morgan Freeman)

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Mar. 19-21, 1982

Weekend Box Office:

3. On Golden Pond – $4,116,609 ($70,098,956 total) {week 16}
6. Missing – $1,890,514 ($7,431,579 total) {week 6}
7. Chariots of Fire – $1,826,591 ($22,883,210 total) {week 23}
9. Arthur – $559,968 ($88,595,661 total) {week 18}
10. Absence of Malice – $541,247 ($40,007,093 total) {week 18}
999. Victor/Victoria – $139,634 ($139,634 total) {week 1}

Oscar Details:

• Absence of Malice: Actor (Paul Newman), Supporting Actress (Melinda Dillon), Original Screenplay
• Arthur: Actor (Dudley Moore), Supporting Actor (John Gielgud) [O], Original Screenplay, Original Song (“Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)”) [O]
• Chariots of Fire: Picture [O], Director, Supporting Actor (Ian Holm), Original Screenplay [O], Original Score [O], Editing, Costume Design [O]
• Missing: Picture, Actor (Jack Lemmon), Actress (Sissy Spacek), Adapted Screenplay [O]
• On Golden Pond: Picture, Director, Actor (Henry Fonda) [O], Actress (Katharine Hepburn) [O], Supporting Actress (Jane Fonda), Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing, Cinematography, Sound
• Victor/Victoria: Actress (Julie Andrews), Supporting Actor (Robert Preston), Supporting Actress (Lesley Ann Warren), Adapted Screenplay, Original Song Score [O], Art Direction, Costume Design