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

Elysium (Wide)

Oscar Potential: Picture, Director, Supporting Actress (Jodie Foster), Original Screenplay, Original Score, Editing, Cinematography, Production Design, Costume Design, Makeup and Hairstyling, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects.

Planes (Wide)

Oscar Potential: Animated Feature.

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 15-17, 2008

Weekend Box Office:

1. Tropic Thunder – $25,812,796 ($36,845,588 total) {week 1}
2. The Dark Knight – $16,379,293 ($471,082,150 total) {week 5}
10. Vicky Cristina Barcelona – $3,755,575 ($3,755,575 total) {week 1}
13. WALL-E – $1,836,332 ($214,129,943 total) {week 8}
19. Hellboy II: The Golden Army – $541,150 ($74,616,780 total) {week 6}
21. Wanted – $368,835 ($133,319,410 total) {week 8}
23. Iron Man – $341,178 ($317,058,295 total) {week 16}
25. Kung Fu Panda – $283,677 ($211,933,936 total) {week 11}
29. Man on Wire – $214,348 ($800,247 total) {week 4}
45. Frozen River – $59,664 ($254,777 total) {week 3}
51. Mongol – $36,219 ($5,621,596 total) {week 11}
55. Encounters at the End of the World – $28,617 ($777,380 total) {week 10}
65. The Visitor – $18,093 ($9,277,453 total) {week 19}
96. The Counterfeiters – $2,287 ($5,483,549 total) {week 26}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Tropic Thunder – $28,545,070 ($40,745,678 total)
2. The Dark Knight – $18,113,034 ($520,945,999 total)
10. Vicky Cristina Barcelona – $4,153,101 ($4,153,101 total)
13. WALL-E – $2,030,707 ($236,795,508 total)
19. Hellboy II: The Golden Army – $598,431 ($82,514,935 total)
21. Wanted – $407,876 ($147,431,214 total)
23. Iron Man – $377,292 ($350,618,783 total)
25. Kung Fu Panda – $313,704 ($234,367,055 total)
29. Man on Wire – $237,037 ($884,953 total)
45. Frozen River – $65,979 ($281,745 total)
51. Mongol – $40,053 ($6,216,640 total)
55. Encounters at the End of the World – $31,646 ($859,665 total)
65. The Visitor – $20,008 ($10,259,468 total)
96. The Counterfeiters – $2,529 ($6,063,980 total)

Oscar Details:

• The Counterfeiters: Foreign Language Film [O]
• The Dark Knight: Supporting Actor (Heath Ledger) [O], Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction, Makeup, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing [O], Visual Effects
• Encounters at the End of the World: Documentary Feature
• Frozen River: Actress (Melissa Leo), Original Screenplay
• Hellboy II: The Golden Army: Makeup
• Iron Man: Sound Editing, Visual Effects
• Kung Fu Panda: Animated Feature
• Man on Wire: Documentary Feature [O]
• Mongol: Foreign Language Film
• Tropic Thunder: Supporting Actor (Robert Downey Jr.)
• Vicky Cristina Barcelona: Supporting Actress (Penelope Cruz) [O]
• The Visitor: Actor (Richard Jenkins)
• WALL-E: Animated Feature [O], Original Screenplay, Original Song (“Down to Earth”), Original Score, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing
• Wanted: Sound Mixing, Sound Editing

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 15-17, 2003

Weekend Box Office:

6. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl – $9,167,599 ($248,720,985 total) {week 6}
8. Seabiscuit – $8,087,670 ($83,012,545 total) {week 4}
14. Finding Nemo – $1,358,901 ($327,793,194 total) {week 12}
17. Whale Rider – $721,540 ($14,053,529 total) {week 11}
21. Dirty Pretty Things – $557,263 ($1,986,903 total) {week 5}
28. Winged Migration – $260,332 ($8,057,441 total) {week 18}
37. American Splendor – $159,705 ($159,705 total) {week 1}
44. Spellbound – $76,051 ($5,122,868 total) {week 16}
47. Capturing the Friedmans – $61,339 ($2,794,120 total) {week 12}
53. Chicago – $33,582 ($170,617,614 total) {week 34}
58. Nowhere in Africa – $24,873 ($5,997,933 total) {week 24}
62. A Mighty Wind – $20,195 ($17,548,613 total) {week 18}
73. The Weather Underground – $13,062 ($241,583 total) {week 11}
79. City of God – $8,474 ($4,558,932 total) {week 31}
91. The Man Without a Past – $5,160 ($903,604 total) {week 20}
92. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – $5,105 ($339,781,747 total) {week 35}
94. Bowling for Columbine – $4,953 ($21,568,100 total) {week 45}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

6. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl – $12,071,432 ($327,503,254 total)
8. Seabiscuit – $10,649,436 ($109,306,734 total)
14. Finding Nemo – $1,789,332 ($431,621,552 total)
17. Whale Rider – $950,087 ($18,504,978 total)
21. Dirty Pretty Things – $733,776 ($2,616,254 total)
28. Winged Migration – $342,792 ($10,609,632 total)
37. American Splendor – $210,291 ($210,291 total)
44. Spellbound – $100,140 ($6,745,534 total)
47. Capturing the Friedmans – $80,768 ($3,679,156 total)
53. Chicago – $44,219 ($224,660,672 total)
58. Nowhere in Africa – $32,752 ($7,897,776 total)
62. A Mighty Wind – $26,592 ($23,107,129 total)
73. The Weather Underground – $17,199 ($318,104 total)
79. City of God – $11,158 ($6,002,972 total)
91. The Man Without a Past – $6,794 ($1,189,820 total)
92. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – $6,722 ($447,407,474 total)
94. Bowling for Columbine – $6,522 ($28,399,787 total)

Oscar Details:

• American Splendor: Adapted Screenplay
• Bowling for Columbine: Documentary Feature [O]
• Capturing the Friedmans: Documentary Feature
• Chicago: Picture [O], Director, Actress (Renee Zellweger), Supporting Actor (John C. Reilly), Supporting Actress (Catherine Zeta-Jones [O], Queen Latifah), Adapted Screenplay, Original Song (“I Move On”), Editing [O], Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Sound [O]
• City of God: Director, Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Cinematography
• Dirty Pretty Things: Original Screenplay
• Finding Nemo: Animated Feature [O], Original Screenplay, Original Score, Sound Editing
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers: Picture, Editing, Art Direction, Sound, Sound Editing [O], Visual Effects [O]
• The Man Without a Past: Foreign Language Film
• A Mighty Wind: Original Song (“A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow”)
• Nowhere in Africa: Foreign Language Film [O]
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl: Actor (Johnny Depp), Makeup, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects
• Seabiscuit: Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design, Sound Mixing
• Spellbound: Documentary Feature
• The Weather Underground: Documentary Feature
• Whale Rider: Actress (Keisha Castle-Hughes)
• Winged Migration: Documentary Feature

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 14-16, 1998

Weekend Box Office:

1. Saving Private Ryan – $13,157,819 ($126,035,694 total) {week 4}
10. Armageddon – $4,138,566 ($180,032,498 total) {week 7}
11. The Mask of Zorro – $3,760,358 ($78,430,821 total) {week 5}
999. Titanic – $707,918 ($598,614,980 total) {week 35}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Saving Private Ryan – $22,275,711 ($213,373,861 total)
10. Armageddon – $7,006,442 ($304,788,493 total)
11. The Mask of Zorro – $6,366,150 ($132,780,537 total)
999. Titanic – $1,198,480 ($1,013,433,463 total)

Oscar Details:

• Armageddon: Original Song (“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”), Sound, Sound Effects, Visual Effects
• The Mask of Zorro: Sound, Sound Effects
• 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]
• Titanic: Picture [O], Director [O], Actress (Kate Winslet), Supporting Actress (Gloria Stuart), Original Dramatic Score [O], Original Song (“My Heart Will Go On”) [O], Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Makeup, Sound [O], Sound Editing [O], Visual Effects [O]

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 13-15, 1993

Weekend Box Office:

1. The Fugitive – $22,438,277 ($60,056,238 total) {week 2}
5. In the Line of Fire – $4,461,092 ($84,205,291 total) {week 6}
7. Jurassic Park – $4,300,805 ($299,567,960 total) {week 10}
9. The Firm – $3,435,860 ($139,248,778 total) {week 7}
11. Sleepless in Seattle – $3,066,985 ($101,533,632 total) {week 8}
15. Searching for Bobby Fischer – $1,121,354 ($1,121,354 total) {week 1}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. The Fugitive – $43,033,797 ($115,180,321 total)
5. In the Line of Fire – $8,555,814 ($161,495,172 total)
7. Jurassic Park – $8,248,404 ($574,533,720 total)
9. The Firm – $6,589,548 ($267,061,666 total)
11. Sleepless in Seattle – $5,882,092 ($194,728,753 total)
15. Searching for Bobby Fischer – $2,150,616 ($2,150,616 total)

Oscar Details:

• The Firm: Supporting Actress (Holly Hunter), Original Score
• The Fugitive: Picture, Supporting Actor (Tommy Lee Jones) [O], Original Score, Editing, Cinematography, Sound, Sound Effects
• In the Line of Fire: Supporting Actor (John Malkovich), Original Screenplay, Editing
• Jurassic Park: Sound [O], Sound Effects [O], Visual Effects [O]
• Searching for Bobby Fischer: Cinematography
• Sleepless in Seattle: Original Screenplay, Original Song (“A Wink and a Smile”)

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 12-14, 1988

Weekend Box Office:

3. Die Hard – $5,742,848 ($38,415,083 total) {week 5}
5. Who Framed Roger Rabbit – $4,349,661 ($113,041,981 total) {week 8}
6. Tucker The Man and His Dreams – $3,709,562 ($3,709,562 total) {week 1}
7. Coming to America – $3,611,470 ($106,688,022 total) {week 7}
9. Big – $2,225,217 ($88,904,983 total) {week 11}
14. Bull Durham – $1,040,442 ($43,575,439 total) {week 9}
999. The Last Temptation of Christ – $401,211 ($401,211 total) {week 1}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

3. Die Hard – $11,094,456 ($74,213,080 total)
5. Who Framed Roger Rabbit – $8,402,995 ($218,382,805 total)
6. Tucker The Man and His Dreams – $7,166,404 ($7,166,404 total)
7. Coming to America – $6,976,903 ($206,107,760 total)
9. Big – $4,298,838 ($171,753,179 total)
14. Bull Durham – $2,010,002 ($84,182,235 total)
999. The Last Temptation of Christ – $775,089 ($775,089 total)

Oscar Details:

• Big: Actor (Tom Hanks), Original Screenplay
• Bull Durham: Original Screenplay
• Coming to America: Costume Design, Makeup
• Die Hard: Editing, Sound, Sound Effects, Visual Effects
• The Last Temptation of Christ: Director
• Tucker The Man and His Dreams: Supporting Actor (Martin Landau), Art Direction, Costume Design
• Who Framed Roger Rabbit: Editing [O], Cinematography, Art Direction, Sound, Sound Effects [O], Visual Effects [O], Special Achievement Award (Animation Direction, Richard Williams)

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 19-21, 1983

Weekend Box Office:

6. Return of the Jedi – $3,033,669 ($222,489,243 total) {week 13}
9. Trading Places – $1,877,435 ($75,420,736 total) {week 11}
11. Flashdance – $1,516,078 ($76,021,471 total) {week 19}
12. WarGames – $1,400,185 ($63,702,257 total) {week 12}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

6. Return of the Jedi – $7,646,772 ($560,814,155 total)
9. Trading Places – $4,732,328 ($190,108,141 total)
11. Flashdance – $3,821,479 ($191,622,375 total)
12. WarGames – $3,529,355 ($160,570,134 total)

Oscar Details:

• Flashdance: Original Song (“Flashdance…What a Feeling”) [O], Original Song (“Maniac”), Editing, Cinematography
• Return of the Jedi: Original Score, Art Direction, Sound, Sound Effects, Visual Effects [O]
• Trading Places: Original Song Score
• WarGames: Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Sound