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
Aladdin (Wide)
Oscar Potential: Production Design, Costume Design.
Booksmart (Wide)
Oscar Potential: Original Screenplay.
5 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 23-25, 2014
Weekend Box Office:
- X-Men: Days of Future Past – $90,823,660 ($90,823,660 total) {week 1}
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier – $1,744,727 ($253,585,725 total) {week 8}
- The Grand Budapest Hotel – $6,857,051 ($56,589,497 total) {week 12}
- The Lego Movie – $407,255 ($254,921,743 total) {week 16}
- Ida – $204,201 ($611,845 total) {week 4}
- Frozen – $34,955 ($400,577,501 total) {week 27}
- Finding Vivian Maier – $33,000 ($1,313,424 total) {week 9}
- 20 Feet from Stardom – $332 ($4,945,691 total) {week 50}
- The Missing Picture – $324 ($51,337 total) {week 10}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- X-Men: Days of Future Past – $101,606,885 ($101,606,885 total)
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier – $1,951,873 ($283,693,210 total)
- The Grand Budapest Hotel – $7,671,168 ($63,308,201 total)
- The Lego Movie – $455,607 ($285,187,850 total)
- Ida – $228,445 ($684,488 total)
- Frozen – $39,105 ($448,136,886 total)
- Finding Vivian Maier – $36,918 ($1,469,363 total)
- 20 Feet from Stardom – $371 ($5,532,878 total)
- The Missing Picture – $362 ($57,432 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 Lego Movie: Original Song (“Everything Is Awesome”)
- The Missing Picture: Foreign Language Film
- X-Men: Days of Future Past: Visual Effects
10 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 22-24, 2009
Weekend Box Office:
- Star Trek – $22,892,262 ($184,526,281 total) {week 3}
- Coraline – $34,137 ($75,163,119 total) {week 16}
- Paris 36 – $21,510 ($780,004 total) {week 8}
- Il Divo – $11,727 ($128,671 total) {week 5}
- Revanche – $9,441 ($85,107 total) {week 4}
- Slumdog Millionaire – $5,703 ($141,318,757 total) {week 28}
- Burma VJ – $5,554 ($7,886 total) {week 1}
- The Class – $5,524 ($3,757,730 total) {week 23}
- 12 – $1,660 ($119,243 total) {week 12}
- The Garden – $1,542 ($23,434 total) {week 5}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- Star Trek – $27,898,037 ($224,876,028 total)
- Coraline – $41,602 ($91,598,788 total)
- Paris 36 – $26,214 ($950,565 total)
- Il Divo – $14,291 ($156,807 total)
- Revanche – $11,505 ($103,717 total)
- Slumdog Millionaire – $6,950 ($172,220,459 total)
- Burma VJ – $6,768 ($9,610 total)
- The Class – $6,732 ($4,579,420 total)
- 12 – $2,023 ($145,317 total)
- The Garden – $1,879 ($28,558 total)
Oscar Details:
- 12: Foreign Language Film
- Burma VJ: Documentary Feature
- The Class: Foreign Language Film
- Coraline: Animated Feature
- Il Divo: Makeup
- The Garden: Documentary Feature
- Paris 36: Original Song (“Loin de Paname”)
- 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
15 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 21-23, 2004
Weekend Box Office:
- Shrek 2 – $108,037,878 ($128,983,060 total) {week 1}
- Troy – $23,925,330 ($85,960,779 total) {week 2}
- Super Size Me – $973,644 ($2,941,709 total) {week 3}
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – $342,428 ($32,944,436 total) {week 10}
- The Passion of the Christ – $271,424 ($369,336,919 total) {week 13}
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – $72,176 ($376,958,965 total) {week 23}
- The Twilight Samurai – $36,760 ($154,440 total) {week 5}
- My Architect – $36,259 ($2,562,472 total) {week 28}
- Mystic River – $20,008 ($90,135,191 total) {week 33}
- The Triplets of Belleville – $19,248 ($6,928,868 total) {week 26}
- Monster – $7,911 ($34,458,169 total) {week 22}
- In America – $5,440 ($15,531,968 total) {week 26}
- City of God – $4,604 ($7,530,233 total) {week 71}
- The Weather Underground – $1,250 ($560,199 total) {week 51}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- Shrek 2 – $159,012,271 ($189,839,802 total)
- Troy – $35,213,771 ($126,518,763 total)
- Super Size Me – $1,433,028 ($4,329,665 total)
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – $503,992 ($48,488,268 total)
- The Passion of the Christ – $399,487 ($543,597,333 total)
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – $106,230 ($554,815,610 total)
- The Twilight Samurai – $54,104 ($227,308 total)
- My Architect – $53,367 ($3,771,497 total)
- Mystic River – $29,448 ($132,662,745 total)
- The Triplets of Belleville – $28,330 ($10,198,044 total)
- Monster – $11,644 ($50,716,210 total)
- In America – $8,007 ($22,860,256 total)
- City of God – $6,776 ($11,083,145 total)
- The Weather Underground – $1,840 ($824,512 total)
Oscar Details:
- City of God: Director, Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Cinematography
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Actress (Kate Winslet), Original Screenplay [O]
- 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]
- 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
- Shrek 2: Animated Feature, Original Song (“Accidentally in Love”)
- Super Size Me : Documentary Feature
- The Triplets of Belleville: Animated Feature, Original Song (“Belleville Rendez-vous”)
- Troy: Costume Design
- The Twilight Samurai: Foreign Language Film
- The Weather Underground: Documentary Feature
20 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 21-23, 1999
Weekend Box Office:
- Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace – $64,820,970 ($105,661,237 total) {week 1}
- The Mummy – $13,791,960 ($100,210,165 total) {week 3}
- The Matrix – $2,875,521 ($149,507,510 total) {week 8}
- Life – $1,565,215 ($57,526,494 total) {week 6}
- Election – $1,474,508 ($9,157,870 total) {week 5}
- Shakespeare in Love – $745,400 ($95,940,373 total) {week 24}
- Life Is Beautiful – $414,662 ($55,785,437 total) {week 31}
- Saving Private Ryan – $105,878 ($216,118,802 total) {week 44}
- Patch Adams – $44,290 ($134,976,848 total) {week 22}
- The Prince of Egypt – $20,965 ($101,286,212 total) {week 23}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace – $116,626,706 ($190,107,029 total)
- The Mummy – $24,814,668 ($180,299,391 total)
- The Matrix – $5,173,674 ($268,995,796 total)
- Life – $2,816,155 ($103,502,393 total)
- Election – $2,652,953 ($16,476,955 total)
- Shakespeare in Love – $1,341,133 ($172,617,128 total)
- Life Is Beautiful – $746,065 ($100,369,861 total)
- Saving Private Ryan – $190,497 ($388,843,671 total)
- Patch Adams – $79,687 ($242,852,045 total)
- The Prince of Egypt – $37,720 ($182,235,429 total)
Oscar Details:
- Election: Adapted Screenplay
- 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
- Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace: Sound, Sound Effects, Visual Effects
25 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 27-29, 1994
Weekend Box Office:
- Maverick – $18,645,527 ($41,828,936 total) {week 2}
- Four Weddings and a Funeral – $2,793,788 ($40,774,304 total) {week 12}
- Schindler’s List – $467,540 ($92,726,908 total) {week 24}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- Maverick – $40,770,363 ($91,463,272 total)
- Four Weddings and a Funeral – $6,108,905 ($89,157,210 total)
- Schindler’s List – $1,022,324 ($202,756,923 total)
Oscar Details:
- Four Weddings and a Funeral: Picture, Original Screenplay
- Maverick: Costume Design
- 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 26-28, 1989
Weekend Box Office:
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – $29,355,021 ($39,255,220 total) {week 1}
- Field of Dreams – $5,678,135 ($30,719,316 total) {week 6}
- Rain Man – $1,177,597 ($165,303,331 total) {week 24}
- Beaches – $730,187 ($57,041,866 total) {week 23}
- The Adventures of Baron Munchaussen – $230,208 ($7,076,810 total) {week 12}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – $67,583,096 ($90,375,998 total)
- Field of Dreams – $13,072,583 ($70,724,068 total)
- Rain Man – $2,711,143 ($380,572,404 total)
- Beaches – $1,681,085 ($131,325,606 total)
- The Adventures of Baron Munchaussen – $530,000 ($16,292,706 total)
Oscar Details:
- The Adventures of Baron Munchaussen : Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup, Visual Effects
- Beaches: Art Direction
- Field of Dreams: Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Original Score
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: Original Score, Sound, Sound Effects [O]
- 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 25-27, 1984
Weekend Box Office:
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – $25,337,110 ($33,668,342 total) {week 1}
- The Natural – $6,920,974 ($21,533,597 total) {week 3}
- Romancing the Stone – $4,051,420 ($54,178,695 total) {week 9}
- Splash – $2,151,832 ($61,088,869 total) {week 12}
- Footloose – $1,924,094 ($71,963,803 total) {week 15}
- Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes – $1,456,940 ($41,485,564 total) {week 9}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – $68,922,972 ($91,585,907 total)
- The Natural – $18,826,697 ($58,576,511 total)
- Romancing the Stone – $11,020,827 ($147,378,950 total)
- Splash – $5,853,495 ($166,176,269 total)
- Footloose – $5,233,994 ($195,758,678 total)
- Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes – $3,963,224 ($112,850,612 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
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: Original Score, Visual Effects [O]
- The Natural : Supporting Actress (Glenn Close), Original Score, Cinematography, Art Direction
- Romancing the Stone: Editing
- Splash: Original Screenplay
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