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

Ghostbusters (Wide)

Oscar Potential: Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects.

Cafe Society (Limited)

Oscar Potential: Supporting Actor (Jesse Eisenberg), Supporting Actress (Kristen Stewart), Original Screenplay.

Phantom Boy (Limited)

Oscar Potential: Animated Feature.

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jul. 22-24, 2011

Weekend Box Office:

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 – $47,422,212 ($273,539,281 total) {week 2}
4. Transformers: Dark of the Moon – $12,051,735 ($325,841,185 total) {week 4}
10. Midnight in Paris – $1,804,662 ($44,783,206 total) {week 10}
11. Bridesmaids – $1,325,985 ($163,832,870 total) {week 11}
16. The Tree of Life – $555,573 ($11,038,150 total) {week 9}
18. Beginners – $425,205 ($4,607,418 total) {week 8}
22. Kung Fu Panda 2 – $317,481 ($160,776,083 total) {week 9}
24. Rio – $304,210 ($142,579,551 total) {week 15}
28. A Better Life – $215,376 ($1,413,960 total) {week 5}
47. Incendies – $40,361 ($1,920,382 total) {week 14}
67. In a Better World – $6,512 ($947,867 total) {week 17}
68. If a Tree Falls – $6,272 ($45,101 total) {week 5}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 – $48,857,437 ($281,817,897 total)
4. Transformers: Dark of the Moon – $12,416,479 ($335,702,709 total)
10. Midnight in Paris – $1,859,280 ($46,138,562 total)
11. Bridesmaids – $1,366,116 ($168,791,242 total)
16. The Tree of Life – $572,387 ($11,372,218 total)
18. Beginners – $438,074 ($4,746,861 total)
22. Kung Fu Panda 2 – $327,090 ($165,641,942 total)
24. Rio – $313,417 ($146,894,695 total)
28. A Better Life – $221,894 ($1,456,753 total)
47. Incendies – $41,583 ($1,978,502 total)
67. In a Better World – $6,709 ($976,554 total)
68. If a Tree Falls – $6,462 ($46,466 total)

Oscar Details:

• Beginners: Supporting Actor (Christopher Plummer) [O]
• A Better Life: Actor (Demian Bichir)
• Bridesmaids: Supporting Actress (Melissa McCarthy), Original Screenplay
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2: Art Direction, Makeup, Visual Effects
• If a Tree Falls: Documentary Feature
• In a Better World: Foreign Language Film [O]
• Incendies: Foreign Language Film
• Kung Fu Panda 2: Animated Feature
• Midnight in Paris: Picture, Directing, Original Screenplay [O], Art Direction
• Rio: Original Song (“Real in Rio”)
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects
• The Tree of Life: Picture, Directing, Cinematography

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jul. 21-23, 2006

Weekend Box Office:

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – $35,215,201 ($321,899,233 total) {week 3}
2. Monster House – $22,217,226 ($22,217,226 total) {week 1}
8. Superman Returns – $7,375,213 ($178,342,711 total) {week 4}
9. The Devil Wears Prada – $7,361,991 ($97,508,460 total) {week 4}
10. Cars – $4,947,198 ($229,485,636 total) {week 7}
11. Click – $4,035,847 ($128,224,427 total) {week 5}
12. An Inconvenient Truth – $1,000,372 ($18,790,273 total) {week 9}
31. Poseidon – $133,447 ($60,418,110 total) {week 11}
39. Water – $54,094 ($3,049,535 total) {week 13}
106. Sophie Scholl – $1,120 ($672,330 total) {week 23}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – $43,924,915 ($401,514,005 total)
2. Monster House – $27,712,173 ($27,712,173 total)
8. Superman Returns – $9,199,311 ($222,451,901 total)
9. The Devil Wears Prada – $9,182,819 ($121,625,056 total)
10. Cars – $6,170,780 ($286,243,915 total)
11. Click – $5,034,026 ($159,937,949 total)
12. An Inconvenient Truth – $1,247,792 ($23,437,638 total)
31. Poseidon – $166,452 ($75,361,215 total)
39. Water – $67,473 ($3,803,771 total)
106. Sophie Scholl – $1,397 ($838,616 total)

Oscar Details:

• Cars: Animated Feature, Original Song (“Our Town”)
• Click: Makeup
• The Devil Wears Prada: Actress (Meryl Streep), Costume Design
• An Inconvenient Truth: Original Song (“I Need to Wake Up” [O]), Documentary Feature [O]
• Monster House: Animated Feature
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest: Art Direction, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects [O]
• Poseidon: Visual Effects
• Sophie Scholl: Foreign Language Film
• Superman Returns: Visual Effects
• Water: Foreign Language Film

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jul. 20-22, 2001

Weekend Box Office:

11. Shrek – $2,275,232 ($251,922,192 total) {week 10}
12. A.I. Artificial Intelligence – $2,168,939 ($74,522,517 total) {week 4}
16. Pearl Harbor – $1,077,223 ($192,166,709 total) {week 9}
17. Sexy Beast – $414,441 ($4,564,612 total) {week 6}
18. Moulin Rouge! – $410,387 ($53,345,164 total) {week 10}
23. Memento – $257,254 ($23,436,057 total) {week 19}
30. Ghost World – $98,791 ($98,791 total) {week 1}
34. Bridget Jones’ Diary – $77,366 ($71,278,859 total) {week 15}
36. Divided We Fall – $70,635 ($490,449 total) {week 7}
50. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – $37,233 ($128,026,803 total) {week 33}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

11. Shrek – $3,284,213 ($363,640,337 total)
12. A.I. Artificial Intelligence – $3,130,783 ($107,570,488 total)
16. Pearl Harbor – $1,554,931 ($277,385,515 total)
17. Sexy Beast – $598,230 ($6,588,848 total)
18. Moulin Rouge! – $592,378 ($77,001,765 total)
23. Memento – $371,337 ($33,829,079 total)
30. Ghost World – $142,601 ($142,601 total)
34. Bridget Jones’ Diary – $111,675 ($102,888,388 total)
36. Divided We Fall – $101,959 ($707,945 total)
50. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – $53,744 ($184,801,940 total)

Oscar Details:

• A.I. Artificial Intelligence: Original Score, Visual Effects
• Bridget Jones’ Diary: Actress (Renee Zellweger)
• 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
• Ghost World: Adapted Screenplay
• Memento: Original Screenplay, Film Editing
• Moulin Rouge!: Picture, Actress (Nicole Kidman), Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Makeup, Sound
• 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

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jul. 19-21, 1996

Weekend Box Office:

1. Independence Day – $21,274,817 ($199,004,369 total) {week 3}
4. The Nutty Professor – $7,567,820 ($93,653,015 total) {week 4}
9. The Hunchback of Notre Dame – $3,647,673 ($84,424,055 total) {week 5}
10. Eraser – $3,438,931 ($87,124,392 total) {week 5}
12. The Rock – $2,546,228 ($122,120,233 total) {week 7}
999. Lone Star – $672,650 ($3,598,520 total) {week 5}
999. Toy Story – $86,776 ($191,374,075 total) {week 35}
999. Trainspotting – $262,673 ($262,673 total) {week 1}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Independence Day – $39,324,718 ($367,842,917 total)
4. The Nutty Professor – $13,988,482 ($173,109,758 total)
9. The Hunchback of Notre Dame – $6,742,418 ($156,050,798 total)
10. Eraser – $6,356,576 ($161,042,145 total)
12. The Rock – $4,706,489 ($225,729,028 total)
999. Lone Star – $1,243,337 ($6,651,563 total)
999. Toy Story – $160,398 ($353,738,958 total)
999. Trainspotting – $485,529 ($485,529 total)

Oscar Details:

• Eraser: Sound Effects Editing
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Original Musical or Comedy Score
• Independence Day: Sound, Visual Effects [O]
• Lone Star: Original Screenplay
• The Nutty Professor: Makeup [O]
• The Rock: Sound
• Toy Story: Original Screenplay, Original Song (“You’ve Got a Friend in Me”), Original Musical or Comedy Score
• Trainspotting: Adapted Screenplay

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jul. 19-21, 1991

Weekend Box Office:

1. Terminator 2: Judgment Day – $14,895,425 ($115,314,239 total) {week 3}
4. Boyz N the Hood – $7,305,965 ($22,535,245 total) {week 2}
6. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves – $5,861,817 ($119,857,597 total) {week 6}
9. City Slickers – $4,811,722 ($91,425,378 total) {week 7}
13. Backdraft – $1,229,760 ($69,454,535 total) {week 9}
14. Thelma & Louise – $1,096,648 ($36,617,724 total) {week 9}
999. The Silence of the Lambs – $313,280 ($127,911,450 total) {week 23}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Terminator 2: Judgment Day – $28,906,324 ($223,780,839 total)
4. Boyz N the Hood – $14,178,084 ($43,732,293 total)
6. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves – $11,375,545 ($232,597,759 total)
9. City Slickers – $9,337,712 ($177,421,696 total)
13. Backdraft – $2,386,494 ($134,784,691 total)
14. Thelma & Louise – $2,128,174 ($71,060,999 total)
999. The Silence of the Lambs – $607,957 ($248,227,208 total)

Oscar Details:

• Backdraft: Sound, Sound Effects Editing, Visual Effects
• Boyz N the Hood: Directing, Original Screenplay
• City Slickers: Supporting Actor (Jack Palance) [O]
• 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
• Terminator 2: Judgment Day: Editing, Cinematography, Makeup [O], Sound [O], Sound Effects [O], Visual Effects [O]
• Thelma & Louise: Directing, Actor (Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon), Original Screenplay [O], Film Editing, Cinematography

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jul. 18-20, 1986

Weekend Box Office:

1. Aliens – $10,052,042 ($10,052,042 total) {week 1}
2. The Karate Kid Part II – $5,561,854 ($61,087,962 total) {week 5}
5. Top Gun – $4,048,254 ($95,348,936 total) {week 10}
14. Pirates – $1,035,447 ($1,035,447 total) {week 1}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Aliens – $22,136,168 ($22,136,168 total)
2. The Karate Kid Part II – $12,248,072 ($134,525,242 total)
5. Top Gun – $8,914,888 ($209,973,263 total)
14. Pirates – $2,280,216 ($2,280,216 total)

Oscar Details:

• Aliens: Actress (Sigourney Weaver), Original Score, Film Editing, Art Direction, Sound, Sound Effects Editing [O], Visual Effects [O]
• The Karate Kid Part II: Original Song (“Glory of Love”)
• Pirates:
• Top Gun: Original Song (“Take My Breath Away” [O]), Editing, Sound, Sound Effects

35 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jul. 17-19, 1981

Weekend Box Office:

1. Endless Love – $4,163,623 ($4,163,623 total) {week 1}
2. Arthur – $2,719,534 ($2,719,534 total) {week 1}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Endless Love – $12,236,259 ($12,236,259 total)
2. Arthur – $7,992,300 ($7,992,300 total)

Oscar Details:

• Arthur: Actor (Dudley Moore), Supporting Actor (John Gielgud) [O], Original Screenplay, Original Song (“Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)”) [O]
• Endless Love: Original Song (“Endless Love”)