Every week, we’ll take a look back in 5-year intervals in the box office past to explore how Oscar’s nominees were doing at the box office that 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 chance 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

Batkid Begins (Limited)

Oscar Potential: Documentary Feature.

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 25-27, 2010

Weekend Box Office:

1. Toy Story 3 – $59,337,669 ($226,889,351 total) {week 2}
16. How to Train Your Dragon – $477,499 ($215,422,528 total) {week 14}
17. Winter’s Bone – $437,378 ($1,064,331 total) {week 3}
22. I Am Love – $248,120 ($439,451 total) {week 2}
27. The Secret in Their Eyes – $217,193 ($5,301,168 total) {week 11}
41. Exit Through the Gift Shop – $74,791 ($2,658,829 total) {week 11}
47. Avatar – $44,572 ($749,535,574 total) {week 28}
49. Restrepo – $35,581 ($35,581 total) {week 1}
53. Alice in Wonderland – $27,399 ($334,162,182 total) {week 17}
68. The Secret of Kells – $9,438 ($637,993 total) {week 17}
73. Dogtooth – $6,686 ($6,686 total) {week 1}
76. Ajami – $5,179 ($608,330 total) {week 21}
82. A Prophet – $3,202 ($2,084,637 total) {week 18}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Toy Story 3 – $61,443,442 ($234,941,191 total)
16. How to Train Your Dragon – $494,444 ($223,067,434 total)
17. Winter’s Bone – $452,900 ($1,102,102 total)
22. I Am Love – $256,925 ($455,046 total)
27. The Secret in Their Eyes – $224,901 ($5,489,296 total)
41. Exit Through the Gift Shop – $77,445 ($2,753,185 total)
47. Avatar – $46,154 ($776,135,062 total)
49. Restrepo – $36,844 ($36,844 total)
53. Alice in Wonderland – $28,371 ($346,020,916 total)
68. The Secret of Kells – $9,773 ($660,634 total)
73. Dogtooth – $6,923 ($6,923 total)
76. Ajami – $5,363 ($629,918 total)
82. A Prophet – $3,316 ($2,158,617 total)

Oscar Details:

• Ajami: Foreign Language Film
• Alice in Wonderland: Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Visual Effects
• Avatar: Picture, Director, Original Score, Film Editing, Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects [O]
• Dogtooth: Foreign Language Film
• Exit Through the Gift Shop: Documentary Feature
• How to Train Your Dragon: Animated Feature, Original Score
• I Am Love: Costume Design
• A Prophet: Foreign Language Film
• Restrepo: Documentary Feature
• The Secret in Their Eyes: Foreign Language Film
• The Secret of Kells : Animated Feature
• Toy Story 3: Picture, Animated Feature [O], Adapted Screenplay, Original Song (“We Belong Together”) [O], Sound Editing
• Winter’s Bone: Picture, Actress (Jennifer Lawrence), Supporting Actor (John Hawkes), Adapted Screenplay

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jul. 1-3, 2005

Weekend Box Office:

1. War of the Worlds – $64,878,725 ($100,561,125 total) {week 1}
2. Batman Begins – $15,609,638 ($151,070,575 total) {week 3}
8. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith – $4,082,150 ($365,553,264 total) {week 7}
11. Cinderella Man – $2,424,310 ($53,742,965 total) {week 5}
14. Crash – $767,622 ($49,507,303 total) {week 9}
18. March of the Penguins – $412,011 ($632,100 total) {week 2}
19. Howl’s Moving Castle – $389,926 ($3,225,747 total) {week 4}
38. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room – $76,173 ($3,689,241 total) {week 11}
109. Born Into Brothels – $1,506 ($3,514,211 total) {week 26}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. War of the Worlds – $82,692,540 ($128,172,292 total)
2. Batman Begins – $19,895,592 ($192,550,171 total)
8. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith – $5,202,990 ($465,923,583 total)
11. Cinderella Man – $3,089,955 ($68,499,224 total)
14. Crash – $978,389 ($63,100,572 total)
18. March of the Penguins – $525,137 ($805,656 total)
19. Howl’s Moving Castle – $496,988 ($4,111,444 total)
38. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room – $97,088 ($4,702,200 total)
109. Born Into Brothels – $1,920 ($4,479,111 total)

Oscar Details:

• Batman Begins: Cinematography
• Born Into Brothels : Documentary Feature
• Cinderella Man: Supporting Actor (Paul Giamatti), Editing, Makeup
• Crash: Picture [O], Directing, Supporting Actor (Matt Dillon), Original Screenplay [O], Original Song (“In the Deep”), Editing [O]
• Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room: Documentary Feature
• Howl’s Moving Castle: Animated Feature
• March of the Penguins: Documentary Feature [O]
• Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith: Makeup
• War of the Worlds: Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 30-Jul. 2, 2000

Weekend Box Office:

1. The Perfect Storm – $41,325,042 ($41,325,042 total) {week 1}
2. The Patriot – $22,413,710 ($31,736,362 total) {week 1}
10. Gladiator – $2,426,872 ($169,753,300 total) {week 9}
21. U-571 – $203,885 ($75,359,960 total) {week 11}
26. Erin Brockovich – $186,240 ($124,639,560 total) {week 16}
46. East-West – $54,864 ($1,806,639 total) {week 13}
56. All About My Mother – $40,016 ($8,226,289 total) {week 35}
61. Toy Story 2 – $31,736 ($245,721,671 total) {week 33}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. The Perfect Storm – $62,639,257 ($62,639,257 total)
2. The Patriot – $33,974,028 ($48,105,024 total)
10. Gladiator – $3,678,580 ($257,306,950 total)
21. U-571 – $309,043 ($114,228,362 total)
26. Erin Brockovich – $282,297 ($188,924,899 total)
46. East-West – $83,161 ($2,738,449 total)
56. All About My Mother – $60,655 ($12,469,162 total)
61. Toy Story 2 – $48,104 ($372,457,524 total)

Oscar Details:

• All About My Mother: Foreign Language Film [O]
• East-West: Foreign Language Film
• Erin Brockovich: Picture, Directing, Actress (Julia Roberts) [O], Supporting Actor (Albert Finney), Original Screenplay
• Gladiator: Picture [O], Directing, Actor (Russell Crowe) [O], Supporting Actor (Joaquin Phoenix) [O], Original Screenplay, Original Score, Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design [O], Sound [O], Visual Effects [O]
• The Patriot: Original Score, Cinematography, Sound
• The Perfect Storm: Sound, Visual Effects
• Toy Story 2: Original Song (“When She Loved Me”)
• U-571: Sound, Sound Editing [O]

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 30-Jul. 2, 1995

Weekend Box Office:

1. Apollo 13 – $25,353,380 ($25,353,380 total) {week 1}
2. Pocahontas – $15,969,825 ($67,843,479 total) {week 3}
3. Batman Forever – $15,322,706 ($135,391,292 total) {week 3}
7. The Bridges of Madison County – $4,412,907 ($54,099,330 total) {week 5}
9. Braveheart – $2,444,831 ($51,546,928 total) {week 6}
11. Crimson Tide – $1,923,705 ($84,278,535 total) {week 8}
999. The Postman (Il Postino) – $496,016 ($1,134,095 total) {week 3}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Apollo 13 – $47,617,727 ($47,617,727 total)
2. Pocahontas – $29,993,901 ($127,420,971 total)
3. Batman Forever – $28,778,508 ($254,286,633 total)
7. The Bridges of Madison County – $8,288,149 ($101,607,247 total)
9. Braveheart – $4,591,786 ($96,813,426 total)
11. Crimson Tide – $3,613,028 ($158,288,651 total)
999. The Postman (Il Postino) – $931,598 ($2,130,013 total)

Oscar Details:

• Apollo 13: Picture, Supporting Actor (Ed Harris), Supporting Actress (Kathleen Quinlan), Adapted Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score, Editing [O], Art Direction, Sound [O], Visual Effects
• Batman Forever: Cinematography, Sound, Sound Effects Editing
• Braveheart: Picture [O], Directing [O], Original Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score, Editing, Cinematography [O], Costume Design, Makeup [O], Sound, Sound Effects Editing [O]
• The Bridges of Madison County: Actress (Meryl Streep)
• Crimson Tide: Editing, Sound, Sound Effects Editing
• Pocahontas: Original Song (“Colors of the Wind”) [O], Original Musical or Comedy Score [O]
• The Postman (Il Postino): Picture, Directing, Actor (Massimo Troisi), Adapted Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score [O]

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 29-Jul. 1, 1990

Weekend Box Office:

1. Days of Thunder – $15,490,445 ($15,490,445 total) {week 1}
2. Dick Tracy – $10,101,204 ($68,392,929 total) {week 3}
4. Total Recall – $6,000,660 ($91,548,425 total) {week 5}
9. Pretty Woman – $3,107,882 ($149,063,728 total) {week 15}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Days of Thunder – $29,918,897 ($29,918,897 total)
2. Dick Tracy – $19,509,890 ($132,096,981 total)
4. Total Recall – $11,589,927 ($176,820,480 total)
9. Pretty Woman – $6,002,694 ($287,907,957 total)

Oscar Details:

• Days of Thunder: Sound
• Dick Tracy: Supporting Actor (Al Pacino), Original Song (“Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)”) [O], Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design, Makeup [O], Sound
• Pretty Woman: Actress (Julia Roberts)
• Total Recall: Sound, Sound Effects Editing, Visual Effects (Special Achievement Award) [O]

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 28-30, 1985

Weekend Box Office:

2. Cocoon – $7,347,444 ($20,461,847 total) {week 2}
3. Rambo: First Blood Part II – $6,957,496 ($107,890,996 total) {week 6}
8. Prizzi’s Honor – $2,435,596 ($13,793,788 total) {week 3}
9. Return to Oz – $1,908,527 ($6,575,242 total) {week 2}
12. Beverly Hills Cop – $941,335 ($226,150,592 total) {week 30}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. Cocoon – $16,909,470 ($47,091,068 total)
3. Rambo: First Blood Part II – $16,012,040 ($248,301,250 total)
8. Prizzi’s Honor – $5,605,301 ($31,745,140 total)
9. Return to Oz – $4,392,300 ($15,132,318 total)
12. Beverly Hills Cop – $2,166,396 ($520,464,884 total)

Oscar Details:

• Beverly Hills Cop: Original Screenplay
• Cocoon: Supporting Actor (Don Ameche) [O], Visual Effects [O]
• Prizzi’s Honor: Picture, Directing, Actor (Jack Nicholson), Supporting Actor (William Hickey), Supporting Actress (Anjelica Huston) [O], Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing, Costume Design
• Rambo: First Blood Part II: Sound Effects Editing
• Return to Oz: Visual Effects

35 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 27-29, 1980

Weekend Box Office:

1. The Empire Strikes Back – $9,217,874 ($64,904,375 total) {week 6}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. The Empire Strikes Back – $27,996,294 ($197,125,927 total)

Oscar Details:

• The Empire Strikes Back: Original Score, Sound [O], Visual Effects (Special Achievement Award) [O]