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

None

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Mar. 25-27, 2011

Weekend Box Office:

5. Rango – $9,772,822 ($106,335,987 total) {week 4}
13. The King’s Speech – $1,557,618 ($134,851,229 total) {week 18}
16. Jane Eyre – $969,993 ($1,885,526 total) {week 3}
18. Tangled – $550,994 ($198,526,569 total) {week 18}
29. Black Swan – $184,355 ($106,578,424 total) {week 17}
30. True Grit – $182,049 ($170,058,659 total) {week 14}
33. Barney’s Version – $142,914 ($4,010,807 total) {week 11}
35. The Fighter – $110,318 ($93,571,803 total) {week 16}
41. Biutiful – $73,634 ($4,824,901 total) {week 9}
42. Tron: Legacy – $70,775 ($171,891,000 total) {week 15}
45. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I – $58,805 ($294,915,214 total) {week 19}
46. The Illusionist – $49,677 ($2,063,755 total) {week 13}
58. Blue Valentine – $31,742 ($9,629,255 total) {week 13}
59. Another Year – $29,189 ($3,126,710 total) {week 13}
67. Inside Job – $17,524 ($4,266,259 total) {week 25}
76. Rabbit Hole – $10,338 ($2,203,980 total) {week 15}
80. 127 Hours – $8,103 ($18,300,917 total) {week 21}
123. Winter’s Bone – $202 ($6,530,708 total) {week 42}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

5. Rango – $10,068,595 ($109,554,226 total)
13. The King’s Speech – $1,604,759 ($138,932,477 total)
16. Jane Eyre – $999,350 ($1,942,591 total)
18. Tangled – $567,670 ($204,534,939 total)
29. Black Swan – $189,934 ($109,804,001 total)
30. True Grit – $187,559 ($175,205,453 total)
33. Barney’s Version – $147,239 ($4,132,193 total)
35. The Fighter – $113,657 ($96,403,737 total)
41. Biutiful – $75,863 ($4,970,926 total)
42. Tron: Legacy – $72,917 ($177,093,250 total)
45. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I – $60,585 ($303,840,769 total)
46. The Illusionist – $51,180 ($2,126,214 total)
58. Blue Valentine – $32,703 ($9,920,683 total)
59. Another Year – $30,072 ($3,221,339 total)
67. Inside Job – $18,054 ($4,395,377 total)
76. Rabbit Hole – $10,651 ($2,270,683 total)
80. 127 Hours – $8,348 ($18,854,791 total)
123. Winter’s Bone – $208 ($6,728,359 total)

Oscar Details:

• 127 Hours: Picture, Actor (James Franco), Adapted Screenplay, Original Song (“If I Rise”), Editing
• 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)
• 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
• Winter’s Bone: Picture, Actress (Jennifer Lawrence), Supporting Actor (John Hawkes), Adapted Screenplay

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Mar. 24-26, 2006

Weekend Box Office:

18. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – $501,655 ($290,611,900 total) {week 16}
23. Brokeback Mountain – $282,633 ($82,597,700 total) {week 16}
26. Tsotsi – $271,209 ($1,238,269 total) {week 5}
27. Mrs. Henderson Presents – $240,745 ($10,327,106 total) {week 16}
29. Transamerica – $220,113 ($8,559,895 total) {week 17}
32. Syriana – $190,462 ($50,498,784 total) {week 18}
33. King Kong – $185,215 ($217,888,685 total) {week 15}
34. Capote – $180,100 ($28,208,108 total) {week 26}
36. Crash – $152,766 ($54,440,780 total) {week 47}
41. Walk the Line – $97,847 ($119,317,827 total) {week 19}
42. Joyeux Noel – $97,287 ($567,895 total) {week 15}
53. Munich – $50,460 ($47,379,090 total) {week 14}
59. Sophie Scholl – $33,915 ($269,147 total) {week 6}
65. The New World – $25,639 ($12,680,863 total) {week 14}
68. Days of Glory – $16,067 ($279,467 total) {week 16}
89. Don’t Tell – $7,131 ($27,105 total) {week 2}
105. Evil – $1,802 ($5,819 total) {week 3}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

18. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – $625,728 ($362,488,431 total)
23. Brokeback Mountain – $352,536 ($103,026,444 total)
26. Tsotsi – $338,287 ($1,544,528 total)
27. Mrs. Henderson Presents – $300,288 ($12,881,291 total)
29. Transamerica – $274,553 ($10,676,999 total)
32. Syriana – $237,569 ($62,988,560 total)
33. King Kong – $231,024 ($271,778,711 total)
34. Capote – $224,644 ($35,184,770 total)
36. Crash – $190,549 ($67,905,523 total)
41. Walk the Line – $122,047 ($148,828,496 total)
42. Joyeux Noel – $121,349 ($708,351 total)
53. Munich – $62,940 ($59,097,277 total)
59. Sophie Scholl – $42,303 ($335,715 total)
65. The New World – $31,980 ($15,817,199 total)
68. Days of Glory – $20,041 ($348,587 total)
89. Don’t Tell – $8,895 ($33,809 total)
105. Evil – $2,248 ($7,258 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]
• Days of Glory: Foreign Language Film
• Don’t Tell: Foreign Language Film
• Evil: Foreign Language Film
• Joyeux Noel: Foreign Language Film
• King Kong: Art Direction, Sound Mixing [O], Sound Editing [O], Visual Effects [O]
• Mrs. Henderson Presents: Actress (Judi Dench), Costume Design
• Munich: Picture, Directing, Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, Editing
• The New World: Cinematography
• Sophie Scholl: Foreign Language Film
• 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. 23-25, 2001

Weekend Box Office:

6. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – $4,613,172 ($106,253,538 total) {week 16}
7. Traffic – $3,948,118 ($107,681,521 total) {week 13}
9. Chocolat – $3,308,107 ($60,657,943 total) {week 15}
15. O Brother, Where Art Thou? – $1,310,111 ($37,091,203 total) {week 14}
16. Cast Away – $1,050,300 ($229,168,596 total) {week 14}
18. Pollock – $807,443 ($4,905,216 total) {week 15}
22. The Emperor’s New Groove – $310,494 ($87,320,505 total) {week 15}
24. You Can Count on Me – $253,732 ($8,706,571 total) {week 20}
26. Memento – $230,938 ($583,181 total) {week 2}
27. Before Night Falls – $217,850 ($3,817,364 total) {week 14}
30. Billy Elliot – $182,055 ($21,442,945 total) {week 24}
31. 102 Dalmatians – $150,441 ($66,662,731 total) {week 18}
50. Malena – $62,722 ($3,364,065 total) {week 14}
51. Shadow of the Vampire – $59,898 ($8,207,004 total) {week 13}
53. Quills – $55,360 ($6,925,453 total) {week 18}
54. Meet the Parents – $54,145 ($166,225,040 total) {week 25}
59. The Taste of Others – $41,351 ($648,938 total) {week 28}
999. Gladiator – $26,857 ($186,870,377 total) {week 47}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

6. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – $6,658,943 ($153,373,040 total)
7. Traffic – $5,698,962 ($155,434,280 total)
9. Chocolat – $4,775,130 ($87,557,490 total)
15. O Brother, Where Art Thou? – $1,891,097 ($53,539,775 total)
16. Cast Away – $1,516,069 ($330,796,366 total)
18. Pollock – $1,165,514 ($7,080,497 total)
22. The Emperor’s New Groove – $448,187 ($126,043,909 total)
24. You Can Count on Me – $366,253 ($12,567,612 total)
26. Memento – $333,350 ($841,800 total)
27. Before Night Falls – $314,458 ($5,510,223 total)
30. Billy Elliot – $262,790 ($30,952,096 total)
31. 102 Dalmatians – $217,156 ($96,225,179 total)
50. Malena – $90,537 ($4,855,903 total)
51. Shadow of the Vampire – $86,461 ($11,846,506 total)
53. Quills – $79,910 ($9,996,634 total)
54. Meet the Parents – $78,156 ($239,939,678 total)
59. The Taste of Others – $59,689 ($936,718 total)
999. Gladiator – $38,767 ($269,740,456 total)

Oscar Details:

• 102 Dalmatians: Costume Design
• 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”)
• Memento: Original Screenplay, Film Editing
• 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
• The Taste of Others: Foreign Language Film
• 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. 22-24, 1996

Weekend Box Office:

1. The Birdcage – $13,294,404 ($60,601,672 total) {week 3}
5. Up Close and Personal – $4,172,633 ($35,943,345 total) {week 4}
6. Fargo – $2,812,662 ($5,152,178 total) {week 3}
8. Mr. Holland’s Opus – $1,973,447 ($72,823,149 total) {week 13}
12. Dead Man Walking – $1,324,472 ($30,228,488 total) {week 13}
15. Sense and Sensibility – $1,068,212 ($39,011,246 total) {week 15}
17. The Postman (Il Postino) – $804,591 ($16,338,064 total) {week 41}
999. Babe – $393,660 ($62,748,640 total) {week 34}
999. Braveheart – $227,738 ($73,256,059 total) {week 44}
999. Mandela – $8,413 ($8,413 total) {week 1}
999. Toy Story – $94,837 ($184,592,498 total) {week 18}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. The Birdcage – $24,573,593 ($112,017,118 total)
5. Up Close and Personal – $7,712,763 ($66,438,264 total)
6. Fargo – $5,198,970 ($9,523,370 total)
8. Mr. Holland’s Opus – $3,647,752 ($134,607,495 total)
12. Dead Man Walking – $2,448,176 ($55,874,830 total)
15. Sense and Sensibility – $1,974,500 ($72,109,023 total)
17. The Postman (Il Postino) – $1,487,219 ($30,199,544 total)
999. Babe – $727,648 ($115,985,608 total)
999. Braveheart – $420,955 ($135,407,693 total)
999. Mandela – $15,551 ($15,551 total)
999. Toy Story – $175,298 ($341,203,780 total)

Oscar Details:

• Babe: Picture, Directing, Supporting Actor (James Cromwell), Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Art Direction, Visual Effects [O]
• 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
• Mandela: Documentary Feature
• Mr. Holland’s Opus: Actor (Richard Dreyfuss)
• The Postman (Il Postino): Picture, Directing, Actor (Massimo Troisi), Adapted Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score [O]
• Sense and Sensibility: Picture, Actress (Emma Thompson), Supporting Actress (Kate Winslet), Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Dramatic Score, Cinematography, Costume Design
• 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. 22-24, 1991

Weekend Box Office:

2. The Silence of the Lambs – $6,687,991 ($78,258,485 total) {week 6}
6. Dances With Wolves – $3,750,142 ($136,311,785 total) {week 20}
8. Home Alone – $2,776,368 ($253,061,346 total) {week 19}
999. Awakenings – $669,726 ($47,710,964 total) {week 14}
999. Ghost – $200,329 ($216,445,736 total) {week 37}
999. The Godfather, Part III – $108,600 ($65,696,793 total) {week 14}
999. Good Fellas – $216,991 ($43,856,669 total) {week 27}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. The Silence of the Lambs – $12,978,833 ($151,869,792 total)
6. Dances With Wolves – $7,277,591 ($264,529,046 total)
8. Home Alone – $5,387,869 ($491,095,296 total)
999. Awakenings – $1,299,682 ($92,588,735 total)
999. Ghost – $388,762 ($420,038,400 total)
999. The Godfather, Part III – $210,751 ($127,492,351 total)
999. Good Fellas – $421,097 ($85,109,023 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]
• Ghost: Picture, Supporting Actress (Whoopi Goldberg) [O], Original Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing
• The Godfather, Part III: Picture, Directing, Supporting Actor (Andy Garcia), Original Song, Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction
• Good Fellas: Picture, Directing, Supporting Actor (Joe Pesci), Supporting Actres (Lorraine Bracco), Adapted Screenplay, Editing
• Home Alone: Original Song (“Somewhere in My Memory”), Original Score
• 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. 21-23, 1986

Weekend Box Office:

4. The Color Purple – $2,865,833 ($77,591,415 total) {week 14}
8. Hannah and Her Sisters – $2,182,095 ($20,265,049 total) {week 7}
11. Out of Africa – $1,320,000 ($71,478,551 total) {week 14}
13. Murphy’s Romance – $1,082,439 ($26,148,165 total) {week 13}
999. The Kiss of the Spider Woman – $119,134 ($15,099,768 total) {week 35}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

4. The Color Purple – $6,311,012 ($170,868,426 total)
8. Hannah and Her Sisters – $4,805,314 ($44,626,806 total)
11. Out of Africa – $2,906,846 ($157,406,944 total)
13. Murphy’s Romance – $2,383,700 ($57,582,347 total)
999. The Kiss of the Spider Woman – $262,352 ($33,252,050 total)

Oscar Details:

• 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
• The Kiss of the Spider Woman: Picture, Directing, Actor (William Hurt) [O], Adapted Screenplay
• 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]