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

Star Trek: Into Darkness (Wide)

Oscar Potential: Makeup & Hairstyling, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects.

Bidder 70 (Limited)

Oscar Potential: Documentary Feature.

Frances Ha (Limited)

Oscar Potential: Actress (Greta Gerwig), Original Screenplay.

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 16-18, 2008

Weekend Box Office:

2. Iron Man – $31,838,996 ($223,124,385 total) {week 3}
10. The Visitor – $672,448 ($3,388,821 total) {week 6}
27. The Counterfeiters – $124,370 ($4,848,835 total) {week 13}
56. In Bruges – $28,587 ($7,598,782 total) {week 15}
93. Persepolis – $3,954 ($4,443,403 total) {week 21}
105. Juno – $2,476 ($143,453,030 total) {week 24}
112. Taxi to the Dark Side – $1,557 ($273,502 total) {week 18}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. Iron Man – $35,209,140 ($246,742,008 total)
10. The Visitor – $743,626 ($3,747,526 total)
27. The Counterfeiters – $137,535 ($5,362,082 total)
56. In Bruges – $31,613 ($8,403,110 total)
93. Persepolis – $4,373 ($4,913,735 total)
105. Juno – $2,738 ($158,637,473 total)
112. Taxi to the Dark Side – $1,722 ($302,452 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 16-18, 2003

Weekend Box Office:

9. A Mighty Wind – $1,692,463 ($12,097,256 total) {week 5}
12. Chicago – $572,963 ($167,440,667 total) {week 21}
14. The Barbarian Invasions – $358,940 ($1,214,381 total) {week 2}
21. Nowhere in Africa – $244,645 ($3,491,494 total) {week 11}
26. Winged Migration – $139,896 ($503,660 total) {week 5}
33. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – $101,515 ($338,622,570 total) {week 22}
34. The Pianist – $97,837 ($32,296,785 total) {week 21}
39. Spellbound – $82,444 ($157,393 total) {week 3}
50. The Quiet American – $50,401 ($12,744,265 total) {week 26}
51. City of God – $39,804 ($4,098,630 total) {week 18}
53. The Man Without a Past – $38,849 ($525,229 total) {week 7}
56. About Schmidt – $35,870 ($64,962,450 total) {week 23}
64. Bowling for Columbine – $29,513 ($21,305,285 total) {week 32}
74. Adaptation. – $19,406 ($22,498,520 total) {week 24}
80. The Hours – $14,549 ($41,597,830 total) {week 21}
87. Talk to Her – $10,251 ($9,266,817 total) {week 26}
92. Catch Me If You Can – $8,800 ($164,606,800 total) {week 21}
109. Frida – $4,450 ($25,876,500 total) {week 30}
122. Spirited Away – $3,014 ($9,955,093 total) {week 35}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

9. A Mighty Wind – $2,228,550 ($15,929,057 total)
12. Chicago – $754,449 ($220,477,429 total)
14. The Barbarian Invasions – $472,634 ($1,599,036 total)
21. Nowhere in Africa – $322,136 ($4,597,423 total)
26. Winged Migration – $184,208 ($663,194 total)
33. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – $133,670 ($445,881,129 total)
34. The Pianist – $128,827 ($42,526,778 total)
39. Spellbound – $108,558 ($207,247 total)
50. The Quiet American – $66,365 ($16,781,006 total)
51. City of God – $52,412 ($5,396,869 total)
53. The Man Without a Past – $51,154 ($691,595 total)
56. About Schmidt – $47,232 ($85,539,279 total)
64. Bowling for Columbine – $38,861 ($28,053,725 total)
74. Adaptation. – $25,553 ($29,624,917 total)
80. The Hours – $19,157 ($54,773,925 total)
87. Talk to Her – $13,498 ($12,202,077 total)
92. Catch Me If You Can – $11,587 ($216,745,936 total)
109. Frida – $5,860 ($34,072,871 total)
122. Spirited Away – $3,969 ($13,108,365 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]
• 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 15-17, 1998

Weekend Box Office:

2. The Horse Whisperer – $13,685,488 ($13,685,488 total) {week 1}
3. Quest for Camelot – $6,041,602 ($6,041,602 total) {week 1}
6. Titanic – $2,112,302 ($572,713,894 total) {week 22}
999. As Good As It Gets – $338,995 ($146,085,411 total) {week 21}
999. Bulworth – $141,816 ($141,816 total) {week 1}
999. Primary Colors – $237,695 ($37,939,277 total) {week 9}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. The Horse Whisperer – $23,169,035 ($23,169,035 total)
3. Quest for Camelot – $10,228,213 ($10,228,213 total)
6. Titanic – $3,576,051 ($969,583,863 total)
999. As Good As It Gets – $573,906 ($247,317,306 total)
999. Bulworth – $240,089 ($240,089 total)
999. Primary Colors – $402,409 ($64,229,821 total)

Oscar Details:

• 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
• Bulworth: Original Screenplay
• The Horse Whisperer: Original Song (“A Soft Place to Fall”)
• Primary Colors: Supporting Actress (Kathy Bates), Adapted Screenplay
• Quest for Camelot: Original Song (“The Prayer”)
• 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 14-16, 1993

Weekend Box Office:

1. Dave – $8,506,834 ($18,430,562 total) {week 2}
13. Scent of a Woman – $531,225 ($61,102,894 total) {week 21}
14. A Few Good Men – $502,193 ($139,414,478 total) {week 23}
999. Unforgiven – $507,261 ($95,072,102 total) {week 41}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Dave – $16,315,039 ($35,347,503 total)
13. Scent of a Woman – $1,018,823 ($117,187,676 total)
14. A Few Good Men – $963,143 ($267,379,458 total)
999. Unforgiven – $972,863 ($182,336,350 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 13-15, 1988

Weekend Box Office:

3. Beetlejuice – $3,056,692 ($55,184,189 total) {week 7}
8. Moonstruck – $1,097,858 ($72,324,513 total) {week 22}
9. The Last Emperor – $1,055,977 ($38,914,923 total) {week 26}
10. The Milagro Beanfield War – $785,625 ($9,054,107 total) {week 9}
11. Good Morning, Vietnam – $737,282 ($115,908,857 total) {week 21}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

3. Beetlejuice – $5,905,142 ($106,608,871 total)
8. Moonstruck – $2,120,923 ($139,721,809 total)
9. The Last Emperor – $2,040,014 ($75,178,708 total)
10. The Milagro Beanfield War – $1,517,728 ($17,491,389 total)
11. Good Morning, Vietnam – $1,424,336 ($223,921,247 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

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 20-22, 1983

Weekend Box Office:

2. Blue Thunder – $6,153,893 ($17,478,900 total) {week 2}
4. Flashdance – $3,524,875 ($30,357,538 total) {week 6}
9. Tootsie – $1,221,666 ($166,914,703 total) {week 23}
10. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial – $798,984 ($349,527,852 total) {week 50}
11. Gandhi – $582,746 ($50,498,856 total) {week 24}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. Blue Thunder – $15,511,718 ($44,057,926 total)
4. Flashdance – $8,884,923 ($76,520,270 total)
9. Tootsie – $3,079,374 ($420,731,029 total)
10. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial – $2,013,947 ($881,032,109 total)
11. Gandhi – $1,468,890 ($127,289,180 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