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

Snow White and the Huntsman (Wide)

Oscar Potential: Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects.

Pink Ribbons, Inc. (Limited)

Oscar Potential: Documentary Feature.

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of June 1-3, 2007

Weekend Box Office:

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End – $44,206,660 ($217,545,728 total) {week 2}
14. Once – $434,923 ($1,062,046 total) {week 3}
15. Away from Her – $425,481 ($3,208,980 total) {week 5}
32. The Lives of Others – $95,720 ($10,379,393 total) {week 17}
33. After the Wedding – $66,757 ($1,281,077 total) {week 10}
78. Pan’s Labyrinth – $5,166 ($37,614,762 total) {week 23}

Oscar Details:

• After the Wedding: Foreign Language Film
• Away from Her: Actress (Julie Christie), Adapted Screenplay
• The Lives of Others: Foreign Language Film
• Once: Original Song [O]
• Pan’s Labyrinth: Original Screenplay, Original Score, Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Makeup [O], Foreign Language Film
• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End: Makeup, Visual Effects

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 31-June 3, 2002

Weekend Box Office:

2. Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones – $21,002,876 ($232,324,823 total) {week 3}
3. Spider-Man – $14,317,411 ($353,823,544 total) {week 5}
5. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron – $11,303,814 ($38,750,089 total) {week 2}
8. About a Boy – $4,126,600 ($27,846,180 total) {week 3}
9. Unfaithful – $2,942,606 ($45,674,344 total) {week 4}
11. My Big Fat Greek Wedding – $910,901 ($8,863,863 total) {week 7}
17. Y Tu Mama Tambien – $324,415 ($11,597,315 total) {week 12}
21. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – $224,662 ($311,053,126 total) {week 24}
22. Ice Age – $223,374 ($173,444,869 total) {week 12}
34. Monster’s Ball – $48,254 ($31,252,964 total) {week 23}
49. The Royal Tenenbaums – $20,801 ($52,307,676 total) {week 25}
55. Amelie – $15,101 ($33,058,090 total) {week 31}
61. Gosford Park – $13,411 ($41,300,105 total) {week 23}

Oscar Details:

• About a Boy: Adapted Screenplay
• Amelie: Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Art Direction, Sound, Foreign Language Film
• Gosford Park: Picture, Director, Supporting Actress (Helen Mirren, Maggie Smith), Original Screenplay [O], Art Direction, Costume Design
• Ice Age: Animated Feature
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Ian McKellen), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score [O], Original Song (“May It Be”), Editing, Cinematography [O], Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup [O], Sound, Visual Effects [O]
• Monster’s Ball: Actress (Halle Berry) [O], Original Screenplay
• My Big Fat Greek Wedding: Original Screenplay
• The Royal Tenenbaums: Original Screenplay
• Spider-Man: Sound, Visual Effects
• Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron: Animated Feature
• Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones: Visual Effects
• Unfaithful: Actress (Diane Lane)
• Y Tu Mama Tambien: Original Screenplay

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 30-June 1, 1997

Weekend Box Office:

1. The Lost World: Jurassic Park – $34,116,390 ($141,544,334 total) {week 2}

Oscar Details:

• The Lost World: Jurassic Park: Visual Effects

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 29-31, 1992

Weekend Box Office:

3. Alien 3 – $8,366,727 ($35,208,201 total) {week 2}
6. Basic Instinct – $2,345,436 ($101,378,802 total) {week 11}
8. Beauty and the Beast – $1,271,804 ($137,332,388 total) {week 24}
9. The Player – $1,192,505 ($13,899,054 total) {week 8}
11. My Cousin Vinny – $747,875 ($48,402,869 total) {week 12}
14. Howards End – $511,785 ($4,130,686 total) {week 12}

Oscar Details:

• Alien 3: Visual Effects
• Basic Instinct: Original Score, Editing
• Beauty and the Beast: Picture, Original Score [O], Original Song (“Be Our Guest”, “Beauty and the Beast” [O], “Belle”), Sound
• Howards End: Picture, Director, Actress (Emma Thompson) [O], Supporting Actress (Vanessa Redgrave), Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score, Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design
• My Cousin Vinny: Supporting Actress (Marisa Tomei) [O]
• The Player: Director, Adapted Screenplay, Editing

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 29-31, 1987

Weekend Box Office:

1. Beverly Hills Cop II – $17,126,642 ($64,775,368 total) {week 2}
8. Platoon – $850,043 ($130,600,043 total) {week 24}
11. Crocodile Dundee – $700,014 ($169,014,205 total) {week 34}

Oscar Details:

• Beverly Hills Cop II: Original Song (“Shakedown”)
• Crocodile Dundee: Original Screenplay
• Platoon: Picture [O], Director [O], Supporting Actor (Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe), Original Screenplay, Editing [O], Cinematography, Sound [O]

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 28-31, 1982

Weekend Box Office:

1. Rocky III – $16,015,408 ($16,015,408 total) {week 1}
8. Chariots of Fire – $1,736,022 ($53,256,841 total) {week 36}
9. Victor/Victoria – $1,488,417 ($19,088,417 total) {week 11}
11. On Golden Pond – $771,239 ($106,463,649 total) {week 26}
12. Annie – $767,277 ($1,575,484 total) {week 2}
14. Diner – $361,224 ($660,491 total) {week 13}
15. Quest for Fire – $319,218 ($20,959,585 total) {week 16}

Oscar Details:

• Annie: Original Song Score, Art Direction
• Chariots of Fire: Picture [O], Director, Supporting Actor (Ian Holm), Original Screenplay [O], Original Score [O], Editing, Costume Design [O]
• Diner: Original Screenplay
• On Golden Pond: Picture, Director, Actor (Henry Fonda) [O], Actress (Katharine Hepburn) [O], Supporting Actress (Jane Fonda), Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing, Cinematography, Sound
• Quest for Fire: Makeup [O]
• Rocky III: Original Song (“Eye of the Tiger”)
• Victor/Victoria: Actress (Julie Andrews), Supporting Actor (Robert Preston), Supporting Actress (Lesley Ann Warren), Adapted Screenplay, Original Song Score [O], Art Direction, Costume Design