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

Hands of Stone (Wide)

Oscar Potential: Actor (Edgar Ramirez), Supporting Actor (Robert De Niro), Film Editing.

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Sep. 2-4, 2011

Weekend Box Office:

1. The Help – $14,594,623 ($118,985,176 total) {week 4}
5. Rise of the Planet of the Apes – $7,915,295 ($160,139,988 total) {week 5}
12. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 – $2,472,601 ($374,623,584 total) {week 8}
26. Midnight in Paris – $670,125 ($52,716,774 total) {week 16}
29. Transformers: Dark of the Moon – $588,481 ($350,348,225 total) {week 10}
32. Kung Fu Panda 2 – $334,190 ($164,694,859 total) {week 15}
34. Bridesmaids – $277,195 ($168,452,530 total) {week 17}
48. The Tree of Life – $79,571 ($12,988,672 total) {week 15}
58. Beginners – $35,811 ($5,764,842 total) {week 14}
77. Rio – $11,049 ($143,613,651 total) {week 21}
80. Incendies – $9,983 ($2,053,661 total) {week 20}
119. In a Better World – $520 ($1,007,808 total) {week 23}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. The Help – $15,036,327 ($122,586,241 total)
5. Rise of the Planet of the Apes – $8,154,850 ($164,986,595 total)
12. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 – $2,547,434 ($385,961,498 total)
26. Midnight in Paris – $690,406 ($54,312,238 total)
29. Transformers: Dark of the Moon – $606,291 ($360,951,450 total)
32. Kung Fu Panda 2 – $344,304 ($169,679,319 total)
34. Bridesmaids – $285,584 ($173,550,715 total)
48. The Tree of Life – $81,979 ($13,381,772 total)
58. Beginners – $36,895 ($5,939,314 total)
77. Rio – $11,383 ($147,960,092 total)
80. Incendies – $10,285 ($2,115,815 total)
119. In a Better World – $536 ($1,038,309 total)

Oscar Details:

• Beginners: Supporting Actor (Christopher Plummer) [O]
• Bridesmaids: Supporting Actress (Melissa McCarthy), Original Screenplay
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2: Art Direction, Makeup, Visual Effects
• The Help: Picture, Actress (Viola Davis), Supporting Actress (Jessica Chastain, Octavia Spencer [O])
• 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”)
• Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Visual Effects
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects
• The Tree of Life: Picture, Directing, Cinematography

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Sep. 1-3, 2006

Weekend Box Office:

4. Little Miss Sunshine – $7,621,579 ($33,729,554 total) {week 6}
5. The Illusionist – $6,189,133 ($10,248,815 total) {week 3}
11. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – $3,785,298 ($412,883,344 total) {week 9}
18. Superman Returns – $874,141 ($196,576,057 total) {week 10}
19. Cars – $849,014 ($241,743,295 total) {week 13}
20. Monster House – $795,546 ($70,577,979 total) {week 7}
21. The Devil Wears Prada – $787,789 ($121,836,154 total) {week 10}
28. Click – $353,658 ($136,414,248 total) {week 11}
33. Half Nelson – $233,863 ($724,640 total) {week 4}
35. An Inconvenient Truth – $221,624 ($23,107,416 total) {week 15}
94. My Country, My Country – $2,802 ($14,792 total) {week 5}
101. Water – $1,748 ($3,222,292 total) {week 19}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

4. Little Miss Sunshine – $9,506,611 ($42,071,825 total)
5. The Illusionist – $7,719,880 ($12,783,636 total)
11. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – $4,721,509 ($515,001,057 total)
18. Superman Returns – $1,090,341 ($245,194,868 total)
19. Cars – $1,058,999 ($301,533,240 total)
20. Monster House – $992,307 ($88,033,907 total)
21. The Devil Wears Prada – $982,631 ($151,969,676 total)
28. Click – $441,128 ($170,153,344 total)
33. Half Nelson – $291,704 ($903,864 total)
35. An Inconvenient Truth – $276,438 ($28,822,533 total)
94. My Country, My Country – $3,495 ($18,450 total)
101. Water – $2,180 ($4,019,256 total)

Oscar Details:

• Cars: Animated Feature, Original Song (“Our Town”)
• Click: Makeup
• The Devil Wears Prada: Actress (Meryl Streep), Costume Design
• Half Nelson: Actor (Ryan Gosling)
• The Illusionist: Cinematography
• An Inconvenient Truth: Original Song (“I Need to Wake Up” [O]), Documentary Feature [O]
• Little Miss Sunshine: Picture, Supporting Actor (Alan Arkin [O]), Supporting Actress (Abigail Breslin), Original Screenplay [O]
• Monster House: Animated Feature
• My Country, My Country: Documentary Feature
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest: Art Direction, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects [O]
• Superman Returns: Visual Effects
• Water: Foreign Language Film

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 31-Sep. 2, 2001

Weekend Box Office:

20. Pearl Harbor – $1,164,650 ($196,656,492 total) {week 15}
21. Shrek – $786,284 ($262,536,751 total) {week 16}
27. Ghost World – $571,340 ($3,233,127 total) {week 7}
39. A.I. Artificial Intelligence – $215,798 ($78,109,787 total) {week 10}
41. Memento – $136,696 ($25,245,302 total) {week 25}
46. Sexy Beast – $103,741 ($6,508,145 total) {week 12}
999. Moulin Rouge! – $176,696 ($56,038,809 total) {week 16}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

20. Pearl Harbor – $1,681,129 ($283,866,350 total)
21. Shrek – $1,134,972 ($378,962,059 total)
27. Ghost World – $824,708 ($4,666,899 total)
39. A.I. Artificial Intelligence – $311,496 ($112,748,579 total)
41. Memento – $197,316 ($36,440,657 total)
46. Sexy Beast – $149,746 ($9,394,266 total)
999. Moulin Rouge! – $255,054 ($80,889,942 total)

Oscar Details:

• A.I. Artificial Intelligence: Original Score, Visual Effects
• 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 Aug. 30-Sep. 1, 1996

Weekend Box Office:

7. Independence Day – $4,366,934 ($280,766,972 total) {week 9}
9. Emma – $3,055,198 ($13,465,360 total) {week 5}
18. Eraser – $1,223,893 ($99,013,389 total) {week 11}
21. The Rock – $822,924 ($130,411,050 total) {week 13}
22. Trainspotting – $967,083 ($10,915,981 total) {week 7}
999. Toy Story – $23,937 ($191,773,049 total) {week 41}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

7. Independence Day – $8,071,912 ($518,974,245 total)
9. Emma – $5,647,278 ($24,889,591 total)
18. Eraser – $2,262,264 ($183,017,961 total)
21. The Rock – $1,521,106 ($241,053,909 total)
22. Trainspotting – $1,787,572 ($20,177,277 total)
999. Toy Story – $44,246 ($354,476,428 total)

Oscar Details:

• Emma: Original Musical or Comedy Score [O], Costume Design
• Eraser: Sound Effects Editing
• Independence Day: Sound, Visual Effects [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 Augu 30-Sep. 1, 1991

Weekend Box Office:

3. Terminator 2: Judgment Day – $4,460,683 ($182,182,182 total) {week 9}
7. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves – $3,158,525 ($150,477,022 total) {week 12}
9. City Slickers – $1,980,732 ($112,657,884 total) {week 13}
11. Boyz N the Hood – $1,789,749 ($49,374,487 total) {week 8}
15. The Commitments – $1,366,223 ($2,305,459 total) {week 3}
999. Barton Fink – $315,914 ($857,149 total) {week 2}
999. The Silence of the Lambs – $116,143 ($130,157,016 total) {week 29}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

3. Terminator 2: Judgment Day – $8,656,480 ($353,545,945 total)
7. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves – $6,129,489 ($292,018,354 total)
9. City Slickers – $3,843,843 ($218,625,870 total)
11. Boyz N the Hood – $3,473,218 ($95,816,997 total)
15. The Commitments – $2,651,316 ($4,474,014 total)
999. Barton Fink – $613,068 ($1,663,398 total)
999. The Silence of the Lambs – $225,389 ($252,584,993 total)

Oscar Details:

• Barton Fink: Supporting Actor (Michael Lerner), Art Direction, Costume Design
• Boyz N the Hood: Directing, Original Screenplay
• City Slickers: Supporting Actor (Jack Palance) [O]
• The Commitments: Film Editing
• 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]

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 29-31, 1986

Weekend Box Office:

1. Stand By Me – $5,037,343 ($11,932,227 total) {week 4}
2. Top Gun – $5,024,325 ($131,345,236 total) {week 16}
3. The Fly – $4,198,506 ($22,279,867 total) {week 3}
4. The Karate Kid Part II – $3,776,755 ($98,948,459 total) {week 11}
5. Aliens – $3,586,256 ($66,354,475 total) {week 7}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Stand By Me – $11,093,017 ($26,276,629 total)
2. Top Gun – $11,064,349 ($289,242,743 total)
3. The Fly – $9,245,767 ($49,063,750 total)
4. The Karate Kid Part II – $8,317,005 ($217,899,976 total)
5. Aliens – $7,897,496 ($146,122,927 total)

Oscar Details:

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