Oscar in Box Office History (Week 36, 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 Sep. 5-7, 2014

Weekend Box Office:

Guardians of the Galaxy – $10,357,345 ($294,765,199 total) {week 6}
Boyhood – $1,163,830 ($20,485,607 total) {week 9}
How to Train Your Dragon 2 – $543,504 ($174,725,162 total) {week 13}
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – $518,551 ($206,225,085 total) {week 9}
Maleficent – $422,207 ($239,251,615 total) {week 15}
Begin Again – $171,083 ($159,556,665 total) {week 11}
X-Men: Days of Future Past – $154,140 ($233,660,474 total) {week 16}
Last Days in Vietnam – $30,500 ($30,500 total) {week 1}
Ida – $8,177 ($3,689,105 total) {week 19}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Guardians of the Galaxy – $11,587,042 ($329,761,802 total)
Boyhood – $1,302,008 ($22,917,803 total)
How to Train Your Dragon 2 – $608,033 ($195,469,765 total)
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – $580,117 ($230,709,581 total)
Maleficent – $472,334 ($267,657,254 total)
Begin Again – $191,395 ($178,500,357 total)
X-Men: Days of Future Past – $172,441 ($261,402,293 total)
Last Days in Vietnam – $34,121 ($34,121 total)
Ida – $9,148 ($4,127,102 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
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: Visual Effects
Guardians of the Galaxy: Makeup and Hairstyling, Visual Effects
How to Train Your Dragon 2: Animated Feature
Ida: Cinematography, Foreign Language Film [O]
Last Days in Vietnam: Documentary Feature
Maleficent: Costume Design
X-Men: Days of Future Past: Visual Effects

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Sep. 4-6, 2009

Weekend Box Office:

Inglourious Basterds – $11,629,394 ($91,825,002 total) {week 3}
District 9 – $7,076,937 ($101,351,058 total) {week 4}
Julie & Julia – $5,324,583 ($78,964,977 total) {week 5}
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – $803,663 ($400,434,854 total) {week 11}
Up – $730,953 ($290,631,082 total) {week 15}
Star Trek – $329,668 ($257,094,634 total) {week 18}
The Hurt Locker – $263,755 ($11,990,523 total) {week 11}
In the Loop – $146,447 ($1,979,514 total) {week 7}
The Baader Meinhof Complex – $44,281 ($118,555 total) {week 3}
Food, Inc. – $38,602 ($4,174,118 total) {week 13}
The Cove – $31,894 ($677,840 total) {week 6}
Departures – $20,192 ($1,315,985 total) {week 15}
Il Divo – $4,431 ($227,441 total) {week 20}
Revanche – $1,818 ($257,397 total) {week 19}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Inglourious Basterds – $14,172,355 ($111,904,069 total)
District 9 – $8,624,427 ($123,513,156 total)
Julie & Julia – $6,488,892 ($96,231,985 total)
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – $979,397 ($487,996,609 total)
Up – $890,788 ($354,182,412 total)
Star Trek – $401,755 ($313,312,661 total)
The Hurt Locker – $321,429 ($14,612,451 total)
In the Loop – $178,470 ($2,412,368 total)
The Baader Meinhof Complex – $53,964 ($144,479 total)
Food, Inc. – $47,043 ($5,086,858 total)
The Cove – $38,868 ($826,061 total)
Departures – $24,607 ($1,603,747 total)
Il Divo – $5,400 ($277,175 total)
Revanche – $2,216 ($313,681 total)

Oscar Details:

The Baader Meinhof Complex: Foreign Language Film
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
Inglourious Basterds: Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Christoph Waltz) [O], Original Screenplay, Editing, Cinematography, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing
Julie & Julia: Actress (Meryl Streep)
Revanche: Foreign Language Film
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 Sep. 3-5, 2004

Weekend Box Office:

Hero – $8,807,757 ($32,530,260 total) {week 1}
Collateral – $5,011,582 ($87,427,974 total) {week 5}
Spider-Man 2 – $1,165,913 ($369,534,309 total) {week 10}
The Village – $840,020 ($111,955,089 total) {week 6}
I, Robot – $719,977 ($141,686,064 total) {week 8}
Shrek 2 – $855,054 ($438,477,864 total) {week 16}
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – $413,441 ($248,195,631 total) {week 14}
Maria Full of Grace – $361,353 ($4,444,119 total) {week 8}
Before Sunset – $255,711 ($5,094,425 total) {week 10}
Story of the Weeping Camel – $45,936 ($1,589,276 total) {week 14}
Super Size Me – $26,644 ($11,391,226 total) {week 18}
The Twilight Samurai – $2,995 ($511,916 total) {week 20}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Hero – $12,963,430 ($47,878,676 total)
Collateral – $7,376,145 ($128,678,210 total)
Spider-Man 2 – $1,716,014 ($543,887,856 total)
The Village – $1,236,358 ($164,777,699 total)
I, Robot – $1,059,676 ($208,536,333 total)
Shrek 2 – $1,258,485 ($645,360,334 total)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – $608,511 ($365,299,206 total)
Maria Full of Grace – $531,846 ($6,540,942 total)
Before Sunset – $376,360 ($7,498,075 total)
Story of the Weeping Camel – $67,610 ($2,339,128 total)
Super Size Me – $39,215 ($16,765,830 total)
The Twilight Samurai – $4,408 ($753,448 total)

Oscar Details:

Before Sunset: Adapted Screenplay
Collateral: Supporting Actor (Jamie Foxx), Editing
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Original Score, Visual Effects
Hero: Foreign Language Film
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
The Twilight Samurai: Foreign Language Film
The Village : Original Score

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Sep. 3-5, 1999

Weekend Box Office:

The Sixth Sense – $22,896,967 ($176,245,282 total) {week 5}
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace – $1,148,842 ($420,995,738 total) {week 16}
Tarzan – $806,735 ($167,862,342 total) {week 12}
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me – $482,641 ($205,120,694 total) {week 13}
The Red Violin – $301,243 ($8,369,857 total) {week 34}
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut – $251,915 ($51,612,637 total) {week 10}
Buena Vista Social Club – $224,715 ($4,455,157 total) {week 14}
The Matrix – $104,573 ($171,206,947 total) {week 23}
The Mummy – $101,640 ($155,116,090 total) {week 18}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

The Sixth Sense – $41,196,511 ($317,102,732 total)
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace – $2,067,011 ($757,460,836 total)
Tarzan – $1,451,488 ($302,020,041 total)
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me – $868,374 ($369,055,737 total)
The Red Violin – $542,000 ($15,059,152 total)
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut – $453,249 ($92,862,107 total)
Buena Vista Social Club – $404,310 ($8,015,775 total)
The Matrix – $188,149 ($308,037,696 total)
The Mummy – $182,872 ($279,086,823 total)

Oscar Details:

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me: Makeup
Buena Vista Social Club: Documentary Feature
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 Sep. 9-11, 1994

Weekend Box Office:

Forrest Gump – $6,760,367 ($247,778,090 total) {week 10}
Clear and Present Danger – $4,321,189 ($104,527,650 total) {week 6}
The Mask – $2,825,711 ($103,901,001 total) {week 7}
True Lies – $2,153,995 ($135,124,659 total) {week 9}
The Client – $1,832,751 ($84,724,683 total) {week 8}
The Lion King – $1,805,418 ($264,718,828 total) {week 13}
Jurassic Park – $461,250 ($354,666,740 total) {week 66}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Forrest Gump – $14,782,238 ($541,792,283 total)
Clear and Present Danger – $9,448,724 ($228,560,460 total)
The Mask – $6,178,708 ($227,190,227 total)
True Lies – $4,709,932 ($295,463,967 total)
The Client – $4,007,499 ($185,259,235 total)
The Lion King – $3,947,732 ($578,834,949 total)
Jurassic Park – $1,008,571 ($775,515,312 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]
Jurassic Park: Sound [O], Sound Effects [O], 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
True Lies: Visual Effects

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Sep. 8-10, 1989

Weekend Box Office:

Parenthood – $4,406,913 ($69,642,398 total) {week 6}
When Harry Met Sally… – $3,113,154 ($71,564,498 total) {week 9}
The Abyss – $2,865,779 ($44,540,211 total) {week 5}
Lethal Weapon 2 – $2,597,052 ($134,775,306 total) {week 10}
sex, lies and videotape – $2,135,236 ($10,821,382 total) {week 6}
Batman – $1,887,559 ($241,089,760 total) {week 12}
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – $1,173,418 ($191,231,088 total) {week 16}
Dead Poets Society – $943,859 ($87,624,941 total) {week 15}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Parenthood – $10,145,890 ($160,335,395 total)
When Harry Met Sally… – $7,167,312 ($164,760,582 total)
The Abyss – $6,597,788 ($102,543,458 total)
Lethal Weapon 2 – $5,979,107 ($310,288,740 total)
sex, lies and videotape – $4,915,883 ($24,913,711 total)
Batman – $4,345,665 ($555,052,999 total)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – $2,701,522 ($440,265,024 total)
Dead Poets Society – $2,173,015 ($201,736,010 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 Sep. 7-9, 1984

Weekend Box Office:

Ghostbusters – $3,666,200 ($192,781,806 total) {week 14}
Purple Rain – $2,555,084 ($49,105,044 total) {week 7}
The Karate Kid – $2,459,536 ($72,886,052 total) {week 12}
The Woman in Red – $2,440,930 ($16,742,768 total) {week 4}
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – $1,136,221 ($168,868,276 total) {week 16}