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

Finding Dory (Wide)

Oscar Potential: Animated Feature.

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 17-19, 2011

Weekend Box Office:

6. Kung Fu Panda 2 – $9,027,671 ($143,670,468 total) {week 4}
7. Bridesmaids – $7,097,735 ($136,450,725 total) {week 6}
9. Midnight in Paris – $4,884,800 ($21,446,614 total) {week 5}
11. The Tree of Life – $1,163,923 ($3,900,355 total) {week 4}
15. Rio – $517,653 ($138,725,044 total) {week 10}
16. Beginners – $354,948 ($909,124 total) {week 3}
25. Rango – $148,063 ($122,751,081 total) {week 16}
30. Incendies – $88,127 ($1,535,872 total) {week 9}
40. Jane Eyre – $45,694 ($11,100,689 total) {week 15}
64. In a Better World – $10,420 ($851,444 total) {week 12}
91. Barney’s Version – $1,294 ($4,438,045 total) {week 23}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

6. Kung Fu Panda 2 – $9,300,892 ($148,018,628 total)
7. Bridesmaids – $7,312,547 ($140,580,381 total)
9. Midnight in Paris – $5,032,638 ($22,095,692 total)
11. The Tree of Life – $1,199,149 ($4,018,399 total)
15. Rio – $533,320 ($142,923,532 total)
16. Beginners – $365,690 ($936,638 total)
25. Rango – $152,544 ($126,466,120 total)
30. Incendies – $90,794 ($1,582,355 total)
40. Jane Eyre – $47,077 ($11,436,649 total)
64. In a Better World – $10,735 ($877,213 total)
91. Barney’s Version – $1,333 ($4,572,362 total)

Oscar Details:

• Barney’s Version: Makeup
• Beginners: Supporting Actor (Christopher Plummer) [O]
• Bridesmaids: Supporting Actress (Melissa McCarthy), Original Screenplay
• In a Better World: Foreign Language Film [O]
• Incendies: Foreign Language Film
• Jane Eyre: Costume Design
• Kung Fu Panda 2: Animated Feature
• Midnight in Paris: Picture, Directing, Original Screenplay [O], Art Direction
• Rango: Animated Feature [O]
• Rio: Original Song (“Real in Rio”)
• The Tree of Life: Picture, Directing, Cinematography

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 16-18, 2006

Weekend Box Office:

1. Cars – $33,731,634 ($117,055,283 total) {week 2}
12. An Inconvenient Truth – $1,911,747 ($6,567,780 total) {week 4}
14. Poseidon – $633,288 ($56,511,405 total) {week 6}
24. Water – $134,247 ($2,326,288 total) {week 8}
28. United 93 – $101,745 ($31,269,635 total) {week 8}
91. Sophie Scholl – $3,720 ($640,651 total) {week 18}
110. Joyeux Noel – $1,273 ($1,041,030 total) {week 27}
114. Darwin’s Nightmare – $880 ($203,646 total) {week 46}
115. Tsotsi – $858 ($2,903,232 total) {week 17}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Cars – $42,074,420 ($146,006,361 total)
12. An Inconvenient Truth – $2,384,576 ($8,192,177 total)
14. Poseidon – $789,918 ($70,488,272 total)
24. Water – $167,450 ($2,901,645 total)
28. United 93 – $126,909 ($39,003,499 total)
91. Sophie Scholl – $4,640 ($799,102 total)
110. Joyeux Noel – $1,588 ($1,298,506 total)
114. Darwin’s Nightmare – $1,098 ($254,013 total)
115. Tsotsi – $1,070 ($3,621,283 total)

Oscar Details:

• Cars: Animated Feature, Original Song (“Our Town”)
• Darwin’s Nightmare: Documentary Feature
• An Inconvenient Truth: Original Song (“I Need to Wake Up” [O]), Documentary Feature [O]
• Joyeux Noel: Foreign Language Film
• Poseidon: Visual Effects
• Sophie Scholl: Foreign Language Film
• Tsotsi: Foreign Language Film [O]
• United 93: Directing, Film Editing
• Water: Foreign Language Film

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 15-17, 2001

Weekend Box Office:

3. Shrek – $13,181,576 ($197,528,004 total) {week 5}
5. Pearl Harbor – $9,859,120 ($160,358,492 total) {week 4}
8. Moulin Rouge! – $5,030,265 ($36,629,874 total) {week 5}
11. Memento – $733,629 ($1,842,529 total) {week 14}
13. Bridget Jones’ Diary – $696,696 ($68,676,698 total) {week 10}
15. Lagaan – $285,368 ($285,368 total) {week 1}
18. Sexy Beast – $170,356 ($214,580 total) {week 1}
19. O Brother, Where Art Thou? – $166,797 ($44,938,980 total) {week 26}
23. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – $113,284 ($127,652,038 total) {week 28}
34. Cast Away – $56,455 ($233,503,178 total) {week 25}
37. Amores Perros – $53,395 ($5,083,416 total) {week 12}
51. Divided We Fall – $36,061 ($79,227 total) {week 2}
56. Traffic – $30,625 ($124,015,650 total) {week 25}
58. Chocolat – $26,672 ($71,139,226 total) {week 27}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

3. Shrek – $19,027,116 ($285,124,345 total)
5. Pearl Harbor – $14,231,274 ($231,471,534 total)
8. Moulin Rouge! – $7,261,001 ($52,873,864 total)
11. Memento – $1,058,966 ($2,659,622 total)
13. Bridget Jones’ Diary – $1,005,655 ($99,132,265 total)
15. Lagaan – $411,918 ($411,918 total)
18. Sexy Beast – $245,903 ($309,738 total)
19. O Brother, Where Art Thou? – $240,765 ($64,867,750 total)
23. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – $163,521 ($184,260,981 total)
34. Cast Away – $81,491 ($337,053,174 total)
37. Amores Perros – $77,074 ($7,337,722 total)
51. Divided We Fall – $52,053 ($114,361 total)
56. Traffic – $44,206 ($179,011,989 total)
58. Chocolat – $38,500 ($102,686,833 total)

Oscar Details:

• Amores Perros: Foreign Language Film
• Bridget Jones’ Diary: Actress (Renee Zellweger)
• Cast Away: Actor (Tom Hanks), Sound
• Chocolat: Picture, Actress (Juliette Binoche), Supporting Actress (Judi Dench), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score
• Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Picture, Directing, Adapted Screenplay, Original Song (“A Love Before Time”), Original Score [O], Editing, Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Costume Design, Foreign Language Film [O]
• Divided We Fall: Foreign Language Film
• Lagaan: Foreign Language Film
• Memento: Original Screenplay, Film Editing
• Moulin Rouge!: Picture, Actress (Nicole Kidman), Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Makeup, Sound
• O Brother, Where Art Thou?: Cinematography
• Pearl Harbor: Original Song (“There You’ll Be”), Sound, Sound Editing [O], Visual Effects
• Sexy Beast: Supporting Actor (Ben Kingsley)
• Shrek: Animated Feature [O], Adapted Screenplay
• Traffic: Picture, Directing [O], Supporting Actor (Benicio Del Toro) [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Editing [O]

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 14-16, 1996

Weekend Box Office:

2. The Rock – $18,513,415 ($56,068,139 total) {week 2}
4. Twister – $7,713,048 ($200,018,830 total) {week 6}
5. Dragonheart – $4,550,475 ($35,042,720 total) {week 3}
999. Toy Story – $408,114 ($189,536,685 total) {week 30}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. The Rock – $34,220,498 ($103,637,261 total)
4. Twister – $14,256,924 ($369,718,064 total)
5. Dragonheart – $8,411,172 ($64,773,534 total)
999. Toy Story – $754,365 ($350,342,696 total)

Oscar Details:

• Dragonheart: Visual Effects
• The Rock: Sound
• Toy Story: Original Screenplay, Original Song (“You’ve Got a Friend in Me”), Original Musical or Comedy Score
• Twister: Sound, Visual Effects

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 14-16, 1991

Weekend Box Office:

1. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves – $25,625,602 ($25,625,602 total) {week 1}
2. City Slickers – $11,274,010 ($30,636,030 total) {week 2}
3. Backdraft – $5,205,375 ($46,639,365 total) {week 4}
8. Thelma & Louise – $2,488,637 ($21,130,012 total) {week 4}
10. Home Alone – $868,774 ($276,269,739 total) {week 31}
12. Dances With Wolves – $784,346 ($183,570,744 total) {week 32}
13. The Silence of the Lambs – $726,501 ($123,688,627 total) {week 18}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves – $49,729,494 ($49,729,494 total)
2. City Slickers – $21,878,542 ($59,452,818 total)
3. Backdraft – $10,101,642 ($90,509,172 total)
8. Thelma & Louise – $4,829,493 ($41,005,273 total)
10. Home Alone – $1,685,958 ($536,133,912 total)
12. Dances With Wolves – $1,522,116 ($356,240,612 total)
13. The Silence of the Lambs – $1,409,861 ($240,032,324 total)

Oscar Details:

• Backdraft: Sound, Sound Effects Editing, Visual Effects
• City Slickers: Supporting Actor (Jack Palance) [O]
• Dances With Wolves: Picture [O], Directing [O], Actor (Kevin Costner), Supporting Actor (Graham Greene), Supporting Actress (Mary McDonnell), Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score [O], Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Art Direction, Costume Design, Sound [O]
• Home Alone: Original Song (“Somewhere in My Memory”), Original Score
• Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves: Original Song (“(Everything I Do) I Do It for You”)
• The Silence of the Lambs: Picture [O], Directing [O], Actor (Anthony Hopkins) [O], Actress (Jodie Foster) [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Film Editing, Sound
• Thelma & Louise: Directing, Actor (Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon), Original Screenplay [O], Film Editing, Cinematography

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 13-15, 1986

Weekend Box Office:

3. Top Gun – $6,250,496 ($53,843,776 total) {week 5}
6. Poltergeist II: The Other Side – $2,222,901 ($30,856,589 total) {week 4}
999. Mona Lisa – $99,361 ($99,361 total) {week 1}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

3. Top Gun – $13,764,569 ($118,572,412 total)
6. Poltergeist II: The Other Side – $4,895,176 ($67,951,033 total)
999. Mona Lisa – $218,808 ($218,808 total)

Oscar Details:

• Mona Lisa:
• Poltergeist II: The Other Side: Visual Effects
• Top Gun: Original Song (“Take My Breath Away” [O]), Editing, Sound, Sound Effects

35 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 12-14, 1981

Weekend Box Office:

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark – $8,305,823 ($8,305,823 total) {week 1}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark – $24,409,559 ($24,409,559 total)

Oscar Details:

• Raiders of the Lost Ark: Picture, Director, Original Score, Editing [O], Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Sound [O], Sound Effects [O], Visual Effects [O]