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
Avengers: Infinity War (Wide)
Oscar Potential: Visual Effects.
5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Apr. 26-28, 2013
Weekend Box Office:
- The Croods – $6,726,918 ($163,151,701 total) {week 6}
- Silver Linings Playbook – $197,626 ($131,422,968 total) {week 24}
- Life of Pi – $80,301 ($124,666,513 total) {week 23}
- No – $68,857 ($2,137,084 total) {week 11}
- Wreck-It Ralph – $35,847 ($189,412,677 total) {week 26}
- Kon-Tiki – $22,168 ($22,168 total) {week 1}
- Django Unchained – $14,660 ($162,789,432 total) {week 18}
- The Gatekeepers – $12,272 ($2,342,248 total) {week 13}
- Searching for Sugar Man – $5,287 ($3,648,145 total) {week 40}
- Amour – $2,999 ($6,731,552 total) {week 19}
- A Royal Affair – $1,733 ($1,545,726 total) {week 25}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- The Croods – $7,388,853 ($180,008,703 total)
- Silver Linings Playbook – $217,073 ($145,001,725 total)
- Life of Pi – $88,203 ($137,547,186 total)
- No – $75,633 ($2,357,890 total)
- Wreck-It Ralph – $39,374 ($208,982,990 total)
- Kon-Tiki – $24,349 ($24,458 total)
- Django Unchained – $16,103 ($179,609,004 total)
- The Gatekeepers – $13,480 ($2,584,251 total)
- Searching for Sugar Man – $5,807 ($4,025,075 total)
- Amour – $3,294 ($7,427,063 total)
- A Royal Affair – $1,904 ($1,705,432 total)
Oscar Details:
- Amour: Picture, Directing, Actress (Emmanuelle Riva), Original Screenplay, Foreign Language Film [O]
- The Croods: Animated Feature
- Django Unchained: Picture, Supporting Actor (Christoph Waltz) [O], Original Screenplay [O], Cinematography, Sound Editing
- The Gatekeepers: Documentary Feature
- Kon-Tiki: Foreign Language Film
- Life of Pi: Picture, Directing [O], Adapted Screenplay, Original Song (“Pi’s Lullaby”), Original Score [O], Film Editing, Cinematography [O], Production Design, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects [O]
- No: Foreign Language Film
- A Royal Affair: Foreign Language Film
- Searching for Sugar Man: Documentary Feature [O]
- Silver Linings Playbook: Picture, Directing, Actor (Bradley Cooper), Actress (Jennifer Lawrence) [O], Supporting Actor (Robert De Niro), Supporting Actress (Jacki Weaver), Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing
- Wreck-It Ralph: Animated Feature
10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Apr. 25-27, 2008
Weekend Box Office:
- The Visitor – $477,711 ($826,290 total) {week 3}
- The Counterfeiters – $268,200 ($4,132,459 total) {week 10}
- In Bruges – $77,245 ($7,399,059 total) {week 12}
- Juno – $73,997 ($143,380,890 total) {week 21}
- Persepolis – $18,850 ($4,401,845 total) {week 18}
- There Will Be Blood – $5,072 ($40,218,903 total) {week 18}
- Taxi to the Dark Side – $4,725 ($258,473 total) {week 15}
- The Savages – $2,803 ($6,610,326 total) {week 22}
- Beaufort – $2,672 ($95,426 total) {week 15}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- The Visitor – $594,145 ($1,032,287 total)
- The Counterfeiters – $333,569 ($5,162,696 total)
- In Bruges – $96,072 ($9,243,671 total)
- Juno – $92,032 ($179,126,265 total)
- Persepolis – $23,444 ($5,499,241 total)
- There Will Be Blood – $6,308 ($50,245,621 total)
- Taxi to the Dark Side – $5,877 ($322,911 total)
- The Savages – $3,486 ($8,258,304 total)
- Beaufort – $3,323 ($119,216 total)
Oscar Details:
- Beaufort: Foreign Language Film
- The Counterfeiters: Foreign Language Film [O]
- In Bruges: Original Screenplay
- Juno: Picture, Director, Actress (Ellen Page), Original Screenplay [O]
- Persepolis: Animated Feature
- The Savages: Actress (Laura Linney), Original Screenplay
- Taxi to the Dark Side: Documentary Feature [O]
- There Will Be Blood: Picture, Director, Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis) [O], Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Cinematography [O], Art Direction, Sound Editing
- The Visitor: Actor (Richard Jenkins)
15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Apr. 25-27, 2003
Weekend Box Office:
- Chicago – $1,584,015 ($163,500,278 total) {week 18}
- A Mighty Wind – $1,363,232 ($4,750,088 total) {week 2}
- The Pianist – $550,119 ($31,243,225 total) {week 18}
- Nowhere in Africa – $295,741 ($2,416,300 total) {week 8}
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – $247,078 ($337,949,941 total) {week 19}
- The Quiet American – $183,641 ($12,289,268 total) {week 23}
- Bowling for Columbine – $108,207 ($21,012,472 total) {week 29}
- About Schmidt – $92,168 ($64,706,199 total) {week 20}
- City of God – $80,763 ($3,797,334 total) {week 15}
- The Man Without a Past – $75,300 ($235,735 total) {week 4}
- The Hours – $57,802 ($41,341,235 total) {week 18}
- Talk to Her – $51,991 ($9,137,479 total) {week 23}
- Catch Me If You Can – $34,708 ($164,504,009 total) {week 18}
- Winged Migration – $31,802 ($84,436 total) {week 2}
- Spirited Away – $25,972 ($9,934,369 total) {week 32}
- Frida – $25,365 ($25,829,386 total) {week 27}
- Adaptation. – $17,409 ($22,296,619 total) {week 21}
- Gangs of New York – $8,492 ($77,722,000 total) {week 19}
- Far From Heaven – $2,010 ($15,896,850 total) {week 25}
- The Wild Thornberrys Movie – $1,296 ($39,880,269 total) {week 19}
- The Crime of Father Amaro – $1,131 ($5,716,300 total) {week 24}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- Chicago – $2,345,813 ($243,216,831 total)
- A Mighty Wind – $2,018,849 ($7,066,051 total)
- The Pianist – $814,687 ($46,476,240 total)
- Nowhere in Africa – $437,971 ($3,594,397 total)
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – $365,905 ($502,721,554 total)
- The Quiet American – $271,959 ($18,281,050 total)
- Bowling for Columbine – $160,247 ($31,257,359 total)
- About Schmidt – $136,494 ($96,254,495 total)
- City of God – $119,604 ($5,648,770 total)
- The Man Without a Past – $111,514 ($350,670 total)
- The Hours – $85,601 ($61,497,658 total)
- Talk to Her – $76,995 ($13,592,568 total)
- Catch Me If You Can – $51,400 ($244,709,944 total)
- Winged Migration – $47,096 ($125,604 total)
- Spirited Away – $38,463 ($14,777,992 total)
- Frida – $37,564 ($38,422,818 total)
- Adaptation. – $25,781 ($33,167,607 total)
- Gangs of New York – $12,576 ($115,616,308 total)
- Far From Heaven – $2,977 ($23,647,553 total)
- The Wild Thornberrys Movie – $1,919 ($59,324,380 total)
- The Crime of Father Amaro – $1,675 ($8,503,352 total)
Oscar Details:
- About Schmidt: Actor (Jack Nicholson), Supporting Actress (Kathy Bates)
- Adaptation.: Actor (Nicoals Cage), Supporting Actor (Chris Cooper) [O], Supporting Actress (Meryl Streep), Adapted Screenplay
- Bowling for Columbine: Documentary Feature [O]
- Catch Me If You Can: Supporting Actor (Christopher Walken), Original Score
- Chicago: Picture [O], Director, Actress (Renee Zellweger), Supporting Actor (John C. Reilly), Supporting Actress (Catherine Zeta-Jones [O], Queen Latifah), Adapted Screenplay, Original Song (“I Move On”), Editing [O], Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Sound [O]
- City of God: Director, Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Cinematography
- The Crime of Father Amaro: Foreign Language Film
- Far From Heaven: Actress (Julianne Moore), Original Screenplay, Original Score, Cinematography
- Frida: Actress, Original Score [O], Original Song (“Burn It Blue”), Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup [O]
- Gangs of New York: Picture, Director, Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis), Original Screenplay, Original Song (“The Hands That Built America”), Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design, Sound
- The Hours: Picture, Director, Actress (Nicole Kidman) [O], Supporting Actor (Ed Harris), Supporting Actress (Julianne Moore), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, Editing, Costume Design
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers: Picture, Editing, Art Direction, Sound, Sound Editing [O], Visual Effects [O]
- The Man Without a Past: Foreign Language Film
- A Mighty Wind: Original Song (“A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow”)
- Nowhere in Africa: Foreign Language Film [O]
- The Pianist: Picture, Director [O], Actor (Adrien Brody) [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Editing, Cinematography, Costume Design
- The Quiet American: Actor (Michael Caine)
- Spirited Away: Animated Feature [O]
- Talk to Her: Director, Original Screenplay [O]
- The Wild Thornberrys Movie: Original Song (“Father and Daughter”)
- Winged Migration: Documentary Feature
20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Apr. 24-26, 1998
Weekend Box Office:
- Titanic – $4,938,575 ($560,615,350 total) {week 19}
- As Good As It Gets – $1,054,333 ($143,556,984 total) {week 18}
- Good Will Hunting – $1,033,604 ($133,038,103 total) {week 21}
- Primary Colors – $833,400 ($36,379,432 total) {week 6}
- Amistad – $1,418 ($44,225,362 total) {week 20}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- Titanic – $9,403,300 ($1,072,221,682 total)
- As Good As It Gets – $2,007,504 ($274,564,210 total)
- Good Will Hunting – $1,968,035 ($254,446,009 total)
- Primary Colors – $1,586,836 ($69,578,573 total)
- Amistad – $2,700 ($84,584,541 total)
Oscar Details:
- Amistad: Supporting Actor (Anthony Hopkins), Original Score, Cinematography, Costume Design
- As Good As It Gets: Picture, Actor (Jack Nicholson) [O], Actress (Helen Hunt) [O], Supporting Actor (Greg Kinnear), Original Screenplay, Original Musical or Comedy Score, Editing
- Good Will Hunting: Picture, Director, Actor (Matt Damon), Supporting Actor (Robin Williams) [O], Supporting Actress (Minnie Driver), Original Screenplay [O], Original Dramatic Score, Original Song (“Miss Misery”), Editing
- Primary Colors: Supporting Actress (Kathy Bates), Adapted Screenplay
- Titanic: Picture [O], Director [O], Actress (Kate Winslet), Supporting Actress (Gloria Stuart), Original Dramatic Score [O], Original Song (“My Heart Will Go On”) [O], Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Makeup, Sound [O], Sound Editing [O], Visual Effects [O]
25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Apr. 23-25, 1993
Weekend Box Office:
- The Crying Game – $1,206,647 ($58,898,833 total) {week 22}
- A Few Good Men – $951,085 ($136,894,962 total) {week 20}
- Scent of a Woman – $659,695 ($58,912,464 total) {week 18}
- Unforgiven – $945,108 ($92,501,637 total) {week 38}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- The Crying Game – $2,602,743 ($127,614,138 total)
- A Few Good Men – $2,051,495 ($296,605,751 total)
- Scent of a Woman – $1,422,965 ($127,643,672 total)
- Unforgiven – $2,038,603 ($200,420,214 total)
Oscar Details:
- The Crying Game: Picture, Director, Actor (Stephen Rea), Supporting Actor (Jaye Davidson), Original Screenplay [O], Editing
- A Few Good Men: Picture, Supporting Actor (Jack Nicholson), Editing, Sound
- Scent of a Woman: Picture, Director, Actor (Al Pacino) [O], Adapted Screenplay
- Unforgiven: Picture [O], Director [O], Actor (Clint Eastwood), Supporting Actor (Gene Hackman) [O], Original Screenplay, Editing [O], Cinematography, Art Direction, Sound
30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Apr. 22-24, 1988
Weekend Box Office:
- Beetlejuice – $6,201,234 ($40,362,058 total) {week 4}
- The Last Emperor – $2,597,418 ($33,097,200 total) {week 23}
- Moonstruck – $2,339,002 ($66,885,111 total) {week 19}
- Good Morning, Vietnam – $1,467,448 ($113,664,420 total) {week 18}
- The Milagro Beanfield War – $1,464,450 ($4,972,379 total) {week 6}
- Stand and Deliver – $1,017,020 ($7,827,110 total) {week 7}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- Beetlejuice – $13,473,727 ($88,089,455 total)
- The Last Emperor – $5,643,538 ($72,234,035 total)
- Moonstruck – $5,082,065 ($145,975,534 total)
- Good Morning, Vietnam – $3,188,397 ($248,070,522 total)
- The Milagro Beanfield War – $3,181,883 ($10,852,126 total)
- Stand and Deliver – $2,209,730 ($17,082,525 total)
Oscar Details:
- Beetlejuice: Makeup [O]
- Good Morning, Vietnam: Actor (Robin Williams)
- The Last Emperor: Picture [O], Director [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score [O], Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Sound [O]
- The Milagro Beanfield War: Original Score [O]
- Moonstruck: Picture, Director, Actress (Cher) [O], Supporting Actor (Vincent Gardenia), Supporting Actress (Olympia Dukakis) [O], Original Screenplay
- Stand and Deliver: Actor (Edward James Olmos)
35 Years Ago: The Weekend of Apr. 29-May 1, 1983
Weekend Box Office:
- Flashdance – $4,095,000 ($15,352,325 total) {week 3}
- Tootsie – $1,951,612 ($161,414,932 total) {week 20}
- Gandhi – $1,303,096 ($47,418,460 total) {week 21}
- E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial – $852,950 ($347,043,083 total) {week 47}
- Tender Mercies – $117,238 ($534,934 total) {week 7}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- Flashdance – $11,609,000 ($43,717,573 total)
- Tootsie – $5,532,665 ($459,648,235 total)
- Gandhi – $3,694,174 ($135,029,710 total)
- E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial – $2,418,046 ($988,246,493 total)
- Tender Mercies – $332,360 ($1,523,288 total)
Oscar Details:
- E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial: Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Original Score [O], Editing, Cinematography, Sound [O], Sound Effects [O], Visual Effects [O]
- Flashdance: Original Song (“FlashdanceโฆWhat a Feeling”) [O], Original Song (“Maniac”), Editing, Cinematography
- Gandhi: Picture [O], Director [O], Actor (Ben Kingsley) [O], Original Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Makeup, Sound
- Tender Mercies: Picture, Director, Actor (Robert Duvall) [O], Original Screenplay [O], Original Song (“Over You”)
- Tootsie: Picture, Director, Actor (Dustin Hoffman), Supporting Actress (Teri Garr), Supporting Actress (Jessica Lange) [O], Original Screenplay, Original Song (“It Might Be You”), Editing, Cinematography, Sound
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