Oscar in Box Office History (Week 33, 2019)

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

None

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 15-17, 2014

Weekend Box Office:

Guardians of the Galaxy – $25,115,564 ($222,661,385 total) {week 3}
Boyhood – $1,992,448 ($13,642,910 total) {week 6}
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – $1,984,776 ($201,897,136 total) {week 6}
How to Train Your Dragon 2 – $579,545 ($171,242,138 total) {week 10}
Maleficent – $369,281 ($236,781,750 total) {week 12}
X-Men: Days of Future Past – $240,761 ($232,480,814 total) {week 13}
Begin Again – $55,807 ($14,455,830 total) {week 8}
Captain America: The Winter Soldier – $38,058 ($259,746,958 total) {week 20}
Ida – $11,828 ($3,623,387 total) {week 16}
The Grand Budapest Hotel – $7,871 ($59,065,243 total) {week 24}
The Lego Movie – $3,289 ($257,743,820 total) {week 28}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Guardians of the Galaxy – $28,097,461 ($249,097,314 total)
Boyhood – $2,229,005 ($15,262,692 total)
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – $2,220,423 ($225,867,787 total)
How to Train Your Dragon 2 – $648,353 ($191,573,212 total)
Maleficent – $413,125 ($264,894,149 total)
X-Men: Days of Future Past – $269,346 ($260,082,575 total)
Begin Again – $62,433 ($16,172,128 total)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier – $42,577 ($290,585,948 total)
Ida – $13,232 ($4,053,581 total)
The Grand Budapest Hotel – $8,806 ($66,077,885 total)
The Lego Movie – $3,679 ($288,344,983 total)

Oscar Details:

Begin Again: Original Song (“Lost Stars”)
Boyhood: Picture, Directing, Supporting Actor (Ethan Hawke), Supporting Actress (Patricia Arquette) [O], Original Screenplay, Film Editing
Captain America: The Winter Soldier: Visual Effects
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: Visual Effects
The Grand Budapest Hotel: Picture, Directing, Original Screenplay, Original Score [O], Film Editing, Cinematography, Production Design [O], Costume Design [O], Makeup and Hairstyling [O]
Guardians of the Galaxy: Makeup and Hairstyling, Visual Effects
How to Train Your Dragon 2: Animated Feature
Ida: Cinematography, Foreign Language Film [O]
The Lego Movie: Original Song (“Everything Is Awesome”)
Maleficent: Costume Design
X-Men: Days of Future Past: Visual Effects

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

Weekend Box Office:

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

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

District 9 – $45,522,450 ($45,522,450 total)
Julie & Julia – $14,692,145 ($52,817,484 total)
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – $1,955,379 ($483,516,487 total)
The Hurt Locker – $785,058 ($12,632,493 total)
Up – $499,049 ($351,248,716 total)
Star Trek – $394,641 ($311,900,949 total)
In the Loop – $266,693 ($1,528,741 total)
Food, Inc. – $131,248 ($4,638,320 total)
The Cove – $106,795 ($517,803 total)
Departures – $37,035 ($1,443,547 total)
Il Divo – $982 ($267,212 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

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

Weekend Box Office:

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

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Collateral – $23,805,666 ($77,359,606 total)
The Village – $10,534,748 ($146,979,894 total)
I, Robot – $5,690,521 ($197,175,969 total)
Spider-Man 2 – $5,169,070 ($531,287,547 total)
Shrek 2 – $835,378 ($641,184,647 total)
Maria Full of Grace – $729,275 ($3,835,110 total)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – $664,422 ($362,427,072 total)
Before Sunset – $345,613 ($6,256,648 total)
Troy – $70,886 ($196,088,100 total)
Story of the Weeping Camel – $70,219 ($2,005,394 total)
Super Size Me – $70,054 ($16,483,310 total)
The Twilight Samurai – $11,520 ($713,163 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

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

Weekend Box Office:

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

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

The Sixth Sense – $46,356,696 ($125,336,126 total)
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace – $2,732,297 ($747,834,282 total)
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me – $2,218,170 ($362,250,087 total)
Tarzan – $2,046,979 ($295,200,248 total)
The Matrix – $756,267 ($306,615,525 total)
The Mummy – $550,523 ($277,650,440 total)
Buena Vista Social Club – $337,656 ($6,260,090 total)
The Red Violin – $288,765 ($13,502,258 total)
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut – $281,749 ($91,580,578 total)
Life – $97,724 ($115,114,441 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”)

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

Weekend Box Office:

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

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Forrest Gump – $24,595,259 ($451,999,416 total)
Clear and Present Danger – $24,149,826 ($160,660,736 total)
The Mask – $16,631,588 ($181,104,541 total)
True Lies – $11,410,356 ($264,474,078 total)
The Client – $9,647,858 ($161,472,558 total)
The Lion King – $9,482,269 ($549,635,247 total)
Maverick – $4,525,540 ($206,143,291 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

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

Weekend Box Office:

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

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Parenthood – $17,512,148 ($99,608,401 total)
The Abyss – $16,606,487 ($56,970,527 total)
When Harry Met Sally… – $11,275,422 ($124,351,770 total)
Lethal Weapon 2 – $10,397,629 ($275,292,071 total)
Batman – $7,919,163 ($527,497,416 total)
Dead Poets Society – $2,405,742 ($191,125,534 total)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – $2,389,477 ($426,341,380 total)
sex, lies and videotape – $1,835,420 ($4,877,019 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

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

Weekend Box Office:

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