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 Great Gatsby (Wide)

Oscar Potential: Picture, Director, Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio), Actress (Carey Mulligan), Supporting Actor (Tobey Maguire), Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Cinematography, Production Design, Costume Design, Makeup and Hairstyling.

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 9, 2008

Weekend Box Office:

1. Iron Man – $51,190,629 ($177,825,024 total) {week 2}
13. The Visitor – $729,212 ($2,475,492 total) {week 5}
25. The Counterfeiters – $148,775 ($4,661,883 total) {week 12}
51. In Bruges – $39,814 ($7,550,836 total) {week 14}
87. Juno – $6,592 ($143,448,146 total) {week 23}
89. Persepolis – $5,606 ($4,435,405 total) {week 20}
118. Taxi to the Dark Side – $1,622 ($270,888 total) {week 17}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Iron Man – $56,609,136 ($196,647,728 total)
13. The Visitor – $806,399 ($2,737,522 total)
25. The Counterfeiters – $164,523 ($5,155,341 total)
51. In Bruges – $44,028 ($8,350,089 total)
87. Juno – $7,290 ($158,632,072 total)
89. Persepolis – $6,199 ($4,904,891 total)
118. Taxi to the Dark Side – $1,794 ($299,561 total)

Oscar Details:

• The Counterfeiters: Foreign Language Film [O]
• In Bruges: Original Screenplay
• Iron Man: Sound Editing, Visual Effects
• Juno: Picture, Director, Actress (Ellen Page), Original Screenplay [O]
• Persepolis: Animated Feature
• Taxi to the Dark Side: Documentary Feature [O]
• The Visitor: Actor (Richard Jenkins)

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 9, 2003

Weekend Box Office:

7. A Mighty Wind – $3,004,214 ($9,483,660 total) {week 4}
11. Chicago – $1,110,568 ($166,514,604 total) {week 20}
19. The Barbarian Invasions – $461,363 ($461,363 total) {week 1}
24. Nowhere in Africa – $250,009 ($163,958 total) {week 10}
26. The Pianist – $210,685 ($32,105,454 total) {week 20}
32. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – $151,733 ($338,457,054 total) {week 21}
38. The Quiet American – $115,176 ($12,653,791 total) {week 25}
40. Winged Migration – $99,188 ($329,595 total) {week 4}
43. The Man Without a Past – $64,090 ($454,686 total) {week 6}
46. Bowling for Columbine – $60,661 ($21,244,913 total) {week 31}
47. City of God – $59,021 ($4,026,717 total) {week 17}
51. About Schmidt – $52,449 ($64,902,853 total) {week 22}
55. Adaptation. – $42,358 ($22,350,662 total) {week 23}
58. The Hours – $40,969 ($41,559,094 total) {week 20}
71. Talk to Her – $24,692 ($9,238,900 total) {week 25}
73. Catch Me If You Can – $22,250 ($164,594,848 total) {week 20}
82. Spellbound – $17,589 ($55,083 total) {week 2}
83. Frida – $16,000 ($25,870,000 total) {week 29}
125. Spirited Away – $2,043 ($9,951,397 total) {week 34}
126. Gangs of New York – $1,850 ($77,730,500 total) {week 21}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

7. A Mighty Wind – $3,955,798 ($12,487,605 total)
11. Chicago – $1,462,340 ($219,258,036 total)
19. The Barbarian Invasions – $607,500 ($607,500 total)
24. Nowhere in Africa – $329,199 ($215,892 total)
26. The Pianist – $277,419 ($42,274,843 total)
32. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – $199,794 ($445,663,186 total)
38. The Quiet American – $151,658 ($16,661,874 total)
40. Winged Migration – $130,606 ($433,994 total)
43. The Man Without a Past – $84,390 ($598,708 total)
46. Bowling for Columbine – $79,875 ($27,974,230 total)
47. City of God – $77,716 ($5,302,178 total)
51. About Schmidt – $69,062 ($85,460,805 total)
55. Adaptation. – $55,775 ($29,430,225 total)
58. The Hours – $53,946 ($54,722,920 total)
71. Talk to Her – $32,513 ($12,165,318 total)
73. Catch Me If You Can – $29,298 ($216,730,198 total)
82. Spellbound – $23,160 ($72,531 total)
83. Frida – $21,068 ($34,064,312 total)
125. Spirited Away – $2,690 ($13,103,498 total)
126. Gangs of New York – $2,436 ($102,351,604 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
• The Barbarian Invasions: Original Screenplay, Foreign Language Film [O]
• 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
• 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)
• Spellbound: Documentary Feature
• Spirited Away: Animated Feature [O]
• Talk to Her: Director, Original Screenplay [O]
• Winged Migration: Documentary Feature

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 8, 1998

Weekend Box Office:

4. Titanic – $3,178,573 ($569,820,413 total) {week 21}
999. Amistad – $1,333 ($44,228,741 total) {week 22}
999. As Good As It Gets – $560,315 ($145,568,128 total) {week 20}
999. Primary Colors – $313,045 ($37,613,382 total) {week 8}
999. Primary Colors – $313,045 ($37,613,382 total) {week 8}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

4. Titanic – $5,381,209 ($964,685,305 total)
999. Amistad – $2,257 ($74,877,655 total)
999. As Good As It Gets – $948,593 ($246,441,564 total)
999. Primary Colors – $529,974 ($63,678,092 total)
999. Primary Colors – $529,974 ($63,678,092 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
• Primary Colors: Supporting Actress (Kathy Bates), Adapted Screenplay
• 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]

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 7, 1993

Weekend Box Office:

2. Dave – $7,306,755 ($7,306,755 total) {week 1}
13. Scent of a Woman – $581,100 ($60,318,819 total) {week 20}
14. A Few Good Men – $562,558 ($138,751,615 total) {week 22}
999. Unforgiven – $611,932 ($94,386,570 total) {week 40}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. Dave – $14,013,438 ($14,013,438 total)
13. Scent of a Woman – $1,114,477 ($115,683,919 total)
14. A Few Good Men – $1,078,916 ($266,108,170 total)
999. Unforgiven – $1,173,609 ($181,021,586 total)

Oscar Details:

• Dave: Original Screenplay
• 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

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 6, 1988

Weekend Box Office:

2. Beetlejuice – $3,357,625 ($51,222,372 total) {week 6}
8. The Last Emperor – $1,256,177 ($37,419,329 total) {week 25}
10. Moonstruck – $1,177,630 ($70,791,647 total) {week 21}
12. The Milagro Beanfield War – $923,875 ($7,936,624 total) {week 8}
13. Sunset – $814,080 ($3,372,091 total) {week 2}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. Beetlejuice – $6,486,507 ($98,955,142 total)
8. The Last Emperor – $2,426,775 ($72,289,409 total)
10. Moonstruck – $2,275,032 ($136,760,505 total)
12. The Milagro Beanfield War – $1,784,810 ($15,332,553 total)
13. Sunset – $1,572,700 ($6,514,453 total)

Oscar Details:

• Beetlejuice: Makeup [O]
• 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
• Sunset: Costume Design

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 13, 1983

Weekend Box Office:

1. Blue Thunder – $8,258,149 ($8,258,149 total) {week 1}
3. Flashdance – $3,452,991 ($25,276,725 total) {week 5}
7. Tootsie – $1,559,536 ($165,339,970 total) {week 22}
9. Gandhi – $837,843 ($49,729,399 total) {week 23}
12. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial – $555,112 ($348,544,883 total) {week 49}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Blue Thunder – $20,815,779 ($20,815,779 total)
3. Flashdance – $8,703,730 ($63,713,396 total)
7. Tootsie – $3,931,021 ($416,761,702 total)
9. Gandhi – $2,111,896 ($125,349,660 total)
12. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial – $1,399,235 ($878,554,403 total)

Oscar Details:

• Blue Thunder: Editing
• E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial: Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Original Score [O], Editing, Cinematography, Sound [O], Sound Effects Editing [O], Visual Effects [O]
• Flashdance: Original Song (“Flashdance…What 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
• 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