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

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu (Wide)

Oscar Potential: Animated Feature.

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 9-11, 2014

Weekend Box Office:

5. Captain America: The Winter Soldier – $5,750,593 ($245,128,338 total) {week 6}
11. The Grand Budapest Hotel – $1,545,746 ($53,826,874 total) {week 10}
18. The Lego Movie – $488,384 ($253,666,490 total) {week 14}
36. Finding Vivian Maier – $114,805 ($1,116,094 total) {week 7}
38. Ida – $85,558 ($175,482 total) {week 2}
44. Frozen – $61,662 ($400,447,148 total) {week 25}
73. The Wind Rises – $5,539 ($5,194,648 total) {week 12}
75. Philomena – $4,971 ($37,701,989 total) {week 25}
95. The Invisible Woman – $1,438 ($1,233,347 total) {week 20}
105. The Missing Picture – $312 ($49,436 total) {week 8}
108. 20 Feet from Stardom – $250 ($4,945,139 total) {week 48}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

5. Captain America: The Winter Soldier – $6,433,344 ($274,231,702 total)
11. The Grand Budapest Hotel – $1,729,268 ($60,217,580 total)
18. The Lego Movie – $546,368 ($283,783,564 total)
36. Finding Vivian Maier – $128,435 ($1,248,605 total)
38. Ida – $95,716 ($196,316 total)
44. Frozen – $68,983 ($447,991,057 total)
73. The Wind Rises – $6,197 ($5,811,393 total)
75. Philomena – $5,561 ($42,178,235 total)
95. The Invisible Woman – $1,609 ($1,379,779 total)
105. The Missing Picture – $349 ($55,305 total)
108. 20 Feet from Stardom – $280 ($5,532,261 total)

Oscar Details:

• 20 Feet from Stardom: Documentary Feature [O]
• Captain America: The Winter Soldier: Visual Effects
• Finding Vivian Maier: Documentary Feature
• Frozen: Animated Feature [O], Original Song (“Let It Go”) [O]
• The Grand Budapest Hotel: Picture, Directing, Original Screenplay, Original Score [O], Film Editing, Cinematography, Production Design [O], Costume Design [O], Makeup and Hairstyling [O]
• Ida: Cinematography, Foreign Language Film [O]
• The Invisible Woman: Costume Design
• The Lego Movie: Original Song (“Everything Is Awesome”)
• The Missing Picture: Foreign Language Film
• Philomena: Picture, Actress (Judi Dench), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score
• The Wind Rises: Animated Feature

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 8-10, 2009

Weekend Box Office:

1. Star Trek – $75,204,289 ($79,204,289 total) {week 1}
47. Paris 36 – $45,179 ($696,384 total) {week 6}
50. Coraline – $36,429 ($75,064,490 total) {week 14}
59. Slumdog Millionaire – $24,353 ($141,286,770 total) {week 26}
61. Il Divo – $21,713 ($86,535 total) {week 3}
64. Revanche – $16,215 ($40,164 total) {week 2}
65. The Class – $16,152 ($3,723,932 total) {week 21}
79. The Reader – $4,366 ($34,192,652 total) {week 22}
83. The Wrestler – $3,666 ($26,236,603 total) {week 21}
90. Waltz with Bashir – $2,987 ($2,283,276 total) {week 20}
98. The Garden – $2,170 ($16,629 total) {week 3}
111. 12 – $846 ($110,978 total) {week 10}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Star Trek – $91,648,960 ($96,523,627 total)
47. Paris 36 – $55,058 ($848,660 total)
50. Coraline – $44,395 ($91,478,592 total)
59. Slumdog Millionaire – $29,678 ($172,181,477 total)
61. Il Divo – $26,461 ($105,457 total)
64. Revanche – $19,761 ($48,947 total)
65. The Class – $19,684 ($4,538,232 total)
79. The Reader – $5,321 ($41,669,445 total)
83. The Wrestler – $4,468 ($31,973,674 total)
90. Waltz with Bashir – $3,640 ($2,782,552 total)
98. The Garden – $2,645 ($20,265 total)
111. 12 – $1,031 ($135,245 total)

Oscar Details:

• 12: Foreign Language Film
• The Class: Foreign Language Film
• Coraline: Animated Feature
• Il Divo: Makeup
• The Garden: Documentary Feature
• Paris 36: Original Song (“Loin de Paname”)
• The Reader: Picture, Director, Actress (Kate Winslet) [O], Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography
• Revanche: Foreign Language Film
• Slumdog Millionaire: Picture [O], Director [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Song (“Jai Ho”) [O], Original Score [O], Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Sound Mixing [O], Sound Editing
• Star Trek: Makeup [O], Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects
• Waltz with Bashir: Foreign Language Film
• The Wrestler: Actor (Mickey Rourke), Supporting Actress (Marisa Tomei)

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 7-9, 2004

Weekend Box Office:

15. The Passion of the Christ – $785,369 ($368,027,248 total) {week 11}
16. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – $565,671 ($31,721,817 total) {week 8}
20. Super Size Me – $516,641 ($516,641 total) {week 1}
38. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – $103,709 ($376,716,328 total) {week 21}
59. Mystic River – $44,481 ($90,050,414 total) {week 31}
63. My Architect – $39,056 ($2,445,830 total) {week 26}
68. The Triplets of Belleville – $35,382 ($6,854,976 total) {week 24}
72. The Fog of War – $28,145 ($4,176,016 total) {week 21}
79. Big Fish – $21,638 ($66,774,751 total) {week 22}
80. Girl with a Pearl Earring – $21,326 ($11,670,971 total) {week 22}
84. The Twilight Samurai – $18,726 ($63,711 total) {week 3}
98. Monster – $10,899 ($34,431,442 total) {week 20}
101. City of God – $9,618 ($7,511,110 total) {week 69}
109. In America – $6,890 ($15,512,566 total) {week 24}
116. Cold Mountain – $5,674 ($95,373,984 total) {week 20}
120. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World – $5,130 ($93,926,386 total) {week 26}
155. The Weather Underground – $400 ($557,668 total) {week 49}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

15. The Passion of the Christ – $1,155,922 ($541,669,734 total)
16. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – $832,566 ($46,688,793 total)
20. Super Size Me – $760,402 ($760,402 total)
38. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – $152,641 ($554,458,492 total)
59. Mystic River – $65,468 ($132,537,968 total)
63. My Architect – $57,483 ($3,599,821 total)
68. The Triplets of Belleville – $52,076 ($10,089,288 total)
72. The Fog of War – $41,424 ($6,146,342 total)
79. Big Fish – $31,847 ($98,280,390 total)
80. Girl with a Pearl Earring – $31,388 ($17,177,564 total)
84. The Twilight Samurai – $27,561 ($93,771 total)
98. Monster – $16,041 ($50,676,873 total)
101. City of God – $14,156 ($11,054,999 total)
109. In America – $10,141 ($22,831,699 total)
116. Cold Mountain – $8,351 ($140,373,303 total)
120. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World – $7,550 ($138,242,700 total)
155. The Weather Underground – $589 ($820,787 total)

Oscar Details:

• Big Fish: Original Score
• City of God: Director, Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Cinematography
• Cold Mountain: Actor (Jude Law), Supporting Actress (Renee Zellweger) [O], Original Song (“Scarlet Tide”), Original Song (“You Will Be My Ain True Love”), Original Score, Editing, Cinematography
• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Actress (Kate Winslet), Original Screenplay [O]
• The Fog of War: Documentary Feature [O]
• Girl with a Pearl Earring: Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design
• In America: Actress (Samantha Morton), Supporting Actor (Djimon Hounsou), Original Screenplay
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King: Picture [O], Director [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Song (“Into the West”) [O], Original Score [O], Editing [O], Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Makeup [O], Sound Mixing [O], Visual Effects [O]
• Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World: Picture, Director, Editing, Cinematography [O], Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing [O], Visual Effects
• Monster: Actress (Charlize Theron) [O]
• My Architect: Documentary Feature
• Mystic River: Picture, Director, Actor (Sean Penn) [O], Supporting Actor (Tim Robbins) [O], Supporting Actress (Marcia Gay Harden), Adapted Screenplay
• The Passion of the Christ : Original Score, Cinematography, Makeup
• Super Size Me : Documentary Feature
• The Triplets of Belleville: Animated Feature, Original Song (“Belleville Rendez-vous”)
• The Twilight Samurai: Foreign Language Film
• The Weather Underground: Documentary Feature

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 7-9, 1999

Weekend Box Office:

1. The Mummy – $43,369,635 ($43,369,635 total) {week 1}
3. The Matrix – $5,881,558 ($138,505,386 total) {week 6}
4. Life – $3,644,810 ($51,484,410 total) {week 4}
5. Election – $3,162,540 ($3,696,536 total) {week 3}
10. Shakespeare in Love – $785,199 ($93,965,332 total) {week 22}
12. Life Is Beautiful – $767,739 ($54,168,264 total) {week 29}
28. Saving Private Ryan – $182,143 ($215,708,216 total) {week 42}
40. The Prince of Egypt – $89,480 ($101,145,331 total) {week 21}
48. Central Station – $61,235 ($5,969,553 total) {week 25}
54. Gods and Monsters – $50,749 ($6,282,133 total) {week 27}
56. Patch Adams – $49,875 ($134,865,675 total) {week 20}
60. A Bug’s Life – $41,951 ($162,763,063 total) {week 25}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. The Mummy – $78,031,194 ($78,031,194 total)
3. The Matrix – $10,582,173 ($249,200,635 total)
4. Life – $6,557,788 ($92,631,399 total)
5. Election – $5,690,082 ($6,650,854 total)
10. Shakespeare in Love – $1,412,740 ($169,063,609 total)
12. Life Is Beautiful – $1,381,326 ($97,460,223 total)
28. Saving Private Ryan – $327,714 ($388,104,940 total)
40. The Prince of Egypt – $160,994 ($181,981,954 total)
48. Central Station – $110,175 ($10,740,495 total)
54. Gods and Monsters – $91,308 ($11,302,893 total)
56. Patch Adams – $89,736 ($242,652,022 total)
60. A Bug’s Life – $75,479 ($292,845,354 total)

Oscar Details:

• A Bug’s Life: Original Musical or Comedy Score
• Central Station: Actress (Fernanda Montenegro), Foreign Language Film
• Election: Adapted Screenplay
• Gods and Monsters: Actor (Ian McKellen), Supporting Actress (Lynn Redgrave), Adapted Screenplay [O]
• Life: Makeup
• Life Is Beautiful: Picture, Director, Actor (Roberto Benigni) [O], Original Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score [O], Editing, Foreign Language Film [O]
• The Matrix : Editing [O], Sound [O], Sound Effects [O], Visual Effects [O]
• The Mummy : Sound
• Patch Adams: Original Musical or Comedy Score
• The Prince of Egypt: Original Song (“When You Believe”) [O], Original Musical or Comedy Score
• Saving Private Ryan: Picture, Director [O], Actor (Tom Hanks), Original Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score, Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Art Direction, Makeup, Sound [O], Sound Effects [O]
• Shakespeare in Love: Picture [O], Director, Actress (Gwyneth Paltrow) [O], Supporting Actor (Geoffrey Rush), Supporting Actress (Judi Dench) [O], Original Screenplay [O], Original Musical or Comedy Score [O], Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Makeup, Sound

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 13-15, 1994

Weekend Box Office:

5. Four Weddings and a Funeral – $2,772,923 ($33,014,724 total) {week 10}
10. Schindler’s List – $878,700 ($91,022,103 total) {week 22}
12. The Paper – $752,550 ($33,782,125 total) {week 9}
15. Philadelphia – $639,835 ($74,308,064 total) {week 23}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

5. Four Weddings and a Funeral – $6,063,281 ($72,190,090 total)
10. Schindler’s List – $1,921,368 ($199,029,192 total)
12. The Paper – $1,645,528 ($73,868,092 total)
15. Philadelphia – $1,399,065 ($162,482,226 total)

Oscar Details:

• Four Weddings and a Funeral: Picture, Original Screenplay
• The Paper : Original Song (“Make Up Your Mind”)
• Philadelphia: Actor (Tom Hanks) [O], Original Screenplay, Original Song (“Philadelphia”), Original Song (“Streets of Philadelphia”) [O]
• Schindler’s List: Picture [O], Director [O], Actor (Liam Neeson), Supporting Actor (Ralph Fiennes), Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score [O], Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Costume Design, Makeup, Sound

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 12-14, 1989

Weekend Box Office:

2. Field of Dreams – $5,777,360 ($15,965,848 total) {week 4}
6. Rain Man – $1,241,578 ($162,186,250 total) {week 22}
999. The Adventures of Baron Munchaussen – $261,044 ($6,383,949 total) {week 10}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. Field of Dreams – $13,301,025 ($36,757,645 total)
6. Rain Man – $2,858,444 ($373,396,052 total)
999. The Adventures of Baron Munchaussen – $600,993 ($14,697,555 total)

Oscar Details:

• The Adventures of Baron Munchaussen : Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup, Visual Effects
• Field of Dreams: Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Original Score
• Rain Man: Picture [O], Director [O], Actor (Dustin Hoffman) [O], Original Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction

35 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 11-13, 1984

Weekend Box Office:

1. The Natural – $5,088,381 ($5,088,381 total) {week 1}
5. Romancing the Stone – $3,034,528 ($44,312,676 total) {week 7}
9. Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes – $1,441,270 ($37,567,798 total) {week 7}
10. Splash – $1,219,328 ($56,849,593 total) {week 10}
11. Footloose – $1,218,894 ($67,834,529 total) {week 13}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. The Natural – $13,841,608 ($13,841,608 total)
5. Romancing the Stone – $8,254,639 ($120,541,029 total)
9. Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes – $3,920,598 ($102,193,355 total)
10. Splash – $3,316,862 ($154,644,429 total)
11. Footloose – $3,315,682 ($184,526,070 total)

Oscar Details:

• Footloose: Original Song (“Footloose”, “Let’s Hear It for the Boy”)
• Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes: Supporting Actor (Ralph Richardson), Adapted Screenplay, Makeup
• The Natural : Supporting Actress (Glenn Close), Original Score, Cinematography, Art Direction
• Romancing the Stone: Editing
• Splash: Original Screenplay