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

None

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 14-16, 2009

Weekend Box Office:

1. District 9 – $37,354,308 ($37,354,308 total) {week 1}
4. Julie & Julia – $12,055,918 ($43,340,386 total) {week 2}
15. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – $1,604,523 ($396,758,605 total) {week 8}
21. The Hurt Locker – $644,194 ($10,365,831 total) {week 8}
22. Up – $409,504 ($288,223,782 total) {week 12}
25. Star Trek – $323,830 ($255,936,227 total) {week 15}
28. In the Loop – $218,840 ($1,254,437 total) {week 4}
36. Food, Inc. – $107,698 ($3,806,061 total) {week 10}
39. The Cove – $87,633 ($424,893 total) {week 3}
54. Departures – $30,390 ($1,184,530 total) {week 12}
111. Il Divo – $806 ($219,266 total) {week 17}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. District 9 – $40,492,070 ($40,492,070 total)
4. Julie & Julia – $13,068,615 ($46,980,978 total)
15. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – $1,739,303 ($430,086,328 total)
21. The Hurt Locker – $698,306 ($11,236,561 total)
22. Up – $443,902 ($312,434,580 total)
25. Star Trek – $351,032 ($277,434,870 total)
28. In the Loop – $237,223 ($1,359,810 total)
36. Food, Inc. – $116,745 ($4,125,770 total)
39. The Cove – $94,994 ($460,584 total)
54. Departures – $32,943 ($1,284,031 total)
111. Il Divo – $874 ($237,684 total)

Oscar Details:

• The Cove: Documentary Feature
• Departures: Foreign Language Film [O]
• District 9: Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Visual Effects
• Il Divo: Makeup
• Food, Inc.: Documentary Feature
• The Hurt Locker: Picture [O], Director [O], Actor (Jeremy Renner), Original Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing [O], Cinematography, Sound Mixing [O], Sound Editing [O]
• In the Loop: Adapted Screenplay
• Julie & Julia: Actress (Meryl Streep)
• Star Trek: Makeup [O], Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Sound Mixing
• Up: Picture, Animated Feature [O], Original Screenplay, Original Score [O], Sound Editing

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 13-15, 2004

Weekend Box Office:

3. Collateral – $16,174,309 ($52,560,520 total) {week 2}
6. The Village – $7,157,635 ($99,862,707 total) {week 3}
8. I, Robot – $3,866,317 ($133,967,480 total) {week 5}
10. Spider-Man 2 – $3,512,027 ($360,973,268 total) {week 7}
21. Shrek 2 – $567,582 ($435,640,772 total) {week 13}
22. Maria Full of Grace – $495,492 ($2,605,693 total) {week 5}
23. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – $451,429 ($246,244,214 total) {week 11}
27. Before Sunset – $234,820 ($4,250,961 total) {week 7}
56. Troy – $48,162 ($133,228,348 total) {week 14}
57. Story of the Weeping Camel – $47,709 ($1,362,527 total) {week 11}
58. Super Size Me – $47,597 ($11,199,273 total) {week 15}
88. The Twilight Samurai – $7,827 ($484,545 total) {week 17}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

3. Collateral – $40,964,839 ($133,120,569 total)
6. The Village – $18,128,216 ($252,923,305 total)
8. I, Robot – $9,792,261 ($339,300,814 total)
10. Spider-Man 2 – $8,894,947 ($914,240,707 total)
21. Shrek 2 – $1,437,521 ($1,103,351,862 total)
22. Maria Full of Grace – $1,254,938 ($6,599,465 total)
23. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – $1,143,339 ($623,665,252 total)
27. Before Sunset – $594,731 ($10,766,453 total)
56. Troy – $121,980 ($337,428,807 total)
57. Story of the Weeping Camel – $120,833 ($3,450,886 total)
58. Super Size Me – $120,549 ($28,364,514 total)
88. The Twilight Samurai – $19,824 ($1,227,212 total)

Oscar Details:

• Before Sunset: Adapted Screenplay
• Collateral: Supporting Actor (Jamie Foxx), Editing
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Original Score, Visual Effects
• I, Robot: Visual Effects
• Maria Full of Grace: Actress (Catalina Sandino Moreno)
• Shrek 2: Animated Feature, Original Song (“Accidentally in Love”)
• Spider-Man 2: Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects [O]
• Story of the Weeping Camel : Documentary Feature
• Super Size Me : Documentary Feature
• Troy: Costume Design
• The Twilight Samurai: Foreign Language Film
• The Village : Original Score

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 13-15, 1999

Weekend Box Office:

1. The Sixth Sense – $25,764,991 ($69,661,654 total) {week 2}
14. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace – $1,518,607 ($415,645,312 total) {week 13}
15. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me – $1,232,856 ($201,338,123 total) {week 10}
16. Tarzan – $1,137,708 ($164,071,910 total) {week 9}
24. The Matrix – $420,332 ($170,416,506 total) {week 20}
30. The Mummy – $305,980 ($154,317,750 total) {week 15}
34. Buena Vista Social Club – $187,669 ($3,479,350 total) {week 11}
36. The Red Violin – $160,495 ($7,504,537 total) {week 31}
37. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut – $156,596 ($50,900,365 total) {week 7}
53. Life – $54,315 ($63,980,455 total) {week 18}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. The Sixth Sense – $41,234,129 ($111,486,072 total)
14. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace – $2,430,369 ($665,196,139 total)
15. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me – $1,973,055 ($322,220,264 total)
16. Tarzan – $1,820,781 ($262,579,651 total)
24. The Matrix – $672,697 ($272,733,503 total)
30. The Mummy – $489,688 ($246,969,155 total)
34. Buena Vista Social Club – $300,344 ($5,568,330 total)
36. The Red Violin – $256,855 ($12,010,214 total)
37. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut – $250,615 ($81,460,624 total)
53. Life – $86,925 ($102,393,917 total)

Oscar Details:

• Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me: Makeup
• Buena Vista Social Club: Documentary Feature
• Life: Makeup
• The Matrix : Editing [O], Sound [O], Sound Effects [O], Visual Effects [O]
• The Mummy : Sound
• The Red Violin : Original Score [O]
• The Sixth Sense : Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Haley Joel Osment), Supporting Actress (Toni Collette), Original Screenplay, Editing
• South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut: Original Song (“Blame Canada”)
• Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace: Sound, Sound Effects, Visual Effects
• Tarzan: Original Song (“You’ll Be In My Heart”)

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 19-21, 1994

Weekend Box Office:

1. Forrest Gump – $11,248,160 ($206,713,081 total) {week 7}
2. Clear and Present Danger – $11,044,450 ($73,475,041 total) {week 3}
3. The Mask – $7,606,131 ($82,824,615 total) {week 4}
5. True Lies – $5,218,303 ($120,952,040 total) {week 6}
7. The Client – $4,412,259 ($73,846,312 total) {week 5}
8. The Lion King – $4,336,530 ($251,364,916 total) {week 10}
13. Maverick – $2,069,667 ($94,275,597 total) {week 14}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Forrest Gump – $21,877,402 ($402,051,997 total)
2. Clear and Present Danger – $21,481,191 ($142,907,197 total)
3. The Mask – $14,793,743 ($161,091,895 total)
5. True Lies – $10,149,474 ($235,248,824 total)
7. The Client – $8,581,738 ($143,629,310 total)
8. The Lion King – $8,434,447 ($488,898,748 total)
13. Maverick – $4,025,453 ($183,363,781 total)

Oscar Details:

• Clear and Present Danger: Sound, Sound Effects
• The Client: Actress (Susan Sarandon)
• Forrest Gump: Picture [O], Director [O], Actor (Tom Hanks) [O], Supporting Actor (Gary Sinise), Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing [O], Cinematography, Art Direction, Makeup, Sound, Sound Effects, Visual Effects [O]
• The Lion King : Original Song (“Can You Feel the Love Tonight” [O], “Circle of Life”, “Hakuna Matata”), Original Score [O]
• The Mask : Visual Effects
• Maverick: Costume Design
• True Lies: Visual Effects

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 18-20, 1989

Weekend Box Office:

2. Parenthood – $7,606,480 ($43,265,356 total) {week 3}
3. The Abyss – $7,213,102 ($24,745,404 total) {week 2}
5. When Harry Met Sally… – $4,897,530 ($54,012,749 total) {week 6}
6. Lethal Weapon 2 – $4,516,257 ($119,574,346 total) {week 7}
9. Batman – $3,439,724 ($229,120,869 total) {week 9}
15. Dead Poets Society – $1,044,945 ($83,016,233 total) {week 12}
16. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – $1,037,880 ($185,183,291 total) {week 13}
18. sex, lies and videotape – $797,223 ($2,118,355 total) {week 3}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. Parenthood – $15,576,998 ($88,601,346 total)
3. The Abyss – $14,771,415 ($50,675,097 total)
5. When Harry Met Sally… – $10,029,451 ($110,610,491 total)
6. Lethal Weapon 2 – $9,248,657 ($244,871,394 total)
9. Batman – $7,044,070 ($469,207,220 total)
15. Dead Poets Society – $2,139,900 ($170,005,535 total)
16. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – $2,125,432 ($379,229,258 total)
18. sex, lies and videotape – $1,632,600 ($4,338,092 total)

Oscar Details:

• The Abyss : Cinematography, Art Direction, Sound, Visual Effects [O]
• Batman: Art Direction [O]
• Dead Poets Society: Picture, Director, Actor (Robin Williams), Original Screenplay [O]
• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: Original Score, Sound, Sound Effects [O]
• Lethal Weapon 2: Sound Effects
• Parenthood: Supporting Actress (Dianne Wiest), Original Song (“I Love To See You Smile”)
• sex, lies and videotape: Original Screenplay
• When Harry Met Sally…: Original Screenplay

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 17-19, 1984

Weekend Box Office:

3. Ghostbusters – $5,405,990 ($171,491,420 total) {week 11}
4. Purple Rain – $4,002,533 ($34,372,441 total) {week 4}
6. The Karate Kid – $3,420,623 ($59,595,611 total) {week 9}
7. The Woman in Red – $3,159,811 ($3,159,811 total) {week 1}
11. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – $1,619,329 ($161,855,840 total) {week 13}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

3. Ghostbusters – $13,080,565 ($414,947,989 total)
4. Purple Rain – $9,684,700 ($83,169,031 total)
6. The Karate Kid – $8,276,686 ($144,200,094 total)
7. The Woman in Red – $7,645,614 ($7,645,614 total)
11. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – $3,918,198 ($391,633,327 total)

Oscar Details:

• Ghostbusters: Original Song (“Ghostbusters”), Visual Effects
• Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: Original Score, Visual Effects [O]
• The Karate Kid : Supporting Actor (Noriyuki ‘Pat’ Morita)
• Purple Rain: Original Song Score [O]
• The Woman in Red : Original Song (“I Just Called to Say I Love You”) [O]