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

Frankenweenie (Wide)

Oscar Potential: Animated Feature.

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 5-7, 2007

Weekend Box Office:

7. 3:10 to Yuma – $3,215,469 ($48,728,753 total) {week 5}
11. Eastern Promises – $2,079,579 ($14,455,384 total) {week 4}
12. Across the Universe – $1,945,219 ($8,078,951 total) {week 4}
15. In the Valley of Elah – $1,338,190 ($5,354,603 total) {week 4}
16. Into the Wild – $1,279,208 ($2,447,444 total) {week 3}
17. The Bourne Ultimatum – $1,184,685 ($224,476,610 total) {week 10}
18. Transformers – $933,617 ($316,476,438 total) {week 14}
22. Michael Clayton – $719,910 ($719,910 total) {week 1}
26. Ratatouille – $441,337 ($203,855,456 total) {week 15}
27. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford – $420,331 ($758,529 total) {week 3}
45. Once – $69,906 ($9,199,193 total) {week 21}
62. La Vie en Rose – $18,280 ($10,021,667 total) {week 18}
73. No End in Sight – $10,589 ($1,400,461 total) {week 11}
77. Sicko – $8,936 ($24,510,898 total) {week 16}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

7. 3:10 to Yuma – $3,701,528 ($56,094,727 total)
11. Eastern Promises – $2,393,934 ($16,640,500 total)
12. Across the Universe – $2,239,264 ($9,300,188 total)
15. In the Valley of Elah – $1,540,475 ($6,164,020 total)
16. Into the Wild – $1,472,577 ($2,817,406 total)
17. The Bourne Ultimatum – $1,363,765 ($258,409,121 total)
18. Transformers – $1,074,745 ($364,315,900 total)
22. Michael Clayton – $828,734 ($828,734 total)
26. Ratatouille – $508,051 ($234,670,816 total)
27. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford – $483,869 ($873,190 total)
45. Once – $80,473 ($10,589,769 total)
62. La Vie en Rose – $21,043 ($11,536,570 total)
73. No End in Sight – $12,190 ($1,612,159 total)
77. Sicko – $10,287 ($28,216,034 total)

Oscar Details:

• 3:10 to Yuma: Original Score, Sound Mixing
• Across the Universe: Costume Design
• The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford: Supporting Actor (Casey Affleck), Cinematography
• The Bourne Ultimatum: Film Editing [O], Sound Mixing [O], Sound Editing [O]
• Eastern Promises: Actor (Viggo Mortensen)
• In the Valley of Elah: Actor (Tommy Lee Jones)
• Into the Wild: Supporting Actor (Hal Holbrook), Editing
• Michael Clayton: Picture, Director, Actor (George Clooney), Supporting Actor (Tom Wilkinson), Supporting Actress (Tilda Swinton) [O], Original Screenplay, Original Score
• No End in Sight: Documentary Feature
• Once: Original Song [O]
• Ratatouille: Animated Feature [O], Original Screenplay, Original Score, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing
• Sicko: Documentary Feature
• Transformers: Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects
• La Vie en Rose: Actress [O], Costume Design, Makeup [O]

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 4-6, 2002

Weekend Box Office:

4. My Big Fat Greek Wedding – $8,223,801 ($147,717,828 total) {week 25}
15. Spirited Away – $611,047 ($1,855,297 total) {week 3}
31. Road to Perdition – $133,675 ($103,749,475 total) {week 13}
32. Lilo & Stitch – $126,055 ($143,666,977 total) {week 16}
38. Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones – $83,733 ($302,036,290 total) {week 21}
40. Minority Report – $76,032 ($131,839,950 total) {week 16}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

4. My Big Fat Greek Wedding – $11,210,414 ($201,364,062 total)
15. Spirited Away – $832,959 ($2,529,080 total)
31. Road to Perdition – $182,221 ($141,427,856 total)
32. Lilo & Stitch – $171,834 ($195,842,075 total)
38. Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones – $114,142 ($411,725,889 total)
40. Minority Report – $103,644 ($179,719,863 total)

Oscar Details:

• Lilo & Stitch: Animated Feature
• Minority Report: Sound Editing
• My Big Fat Greek Wedding: Original Screenplay
• Road to Perdition: Supporting Actor (Paul Newman), Original Score, Cinematography [O], Art Direction, Sound, Sound Editing
• Spirited Away: Animated Feature [O]
• Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones: Visual Effects

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 3-5, 1997

Weekend Box Office:

4. In & Out – $7,722,423 ($40,822,853 total) {week 3}
6. L.A. Confidential – $4,707,651 ($17,842,710 total) {week 3}
9. The Full Monty – $2,253,430 ($17,229,424 total) {week 8}
12. Contact – $795,612 ($99,040,239 total) {week 13}
13. Air Force One – $756,150 ($169,003,294 total) {week 11}
14. Men in Black – $687,721 ($243,017,806 total) {week 14}
999. Con Air – $32,729 ($101,087,161 total) {week 18}
999. The Lost World: Jurassic Park – $90,450 ($229,013,699 total) {week 20}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

4. In & Out – $13,324,965 ($70,439,433 total)
6. L.A. Confidential – $8,123,006 ($30,787,421 total)
9. The Full Monty – $3,888,271 ($29,729,202 total)
12. Contact – $1,372,821 ($170,892,961 total)
13. Air Force One – $1,304,729 ($291,613,527 total)
14. Men in Black – $1,186,656 ($419,324,842 total)
999. Con Air – $56,474 ($174,424,905 total)
999. The Lost World: Jurassic Park – $156,071 ($395,160,892 total)

Oscar Details:

• Air Force One: Editing, Sound
• Con Air: Original Song (“How Do I Live”), Sound
• Contact: Sound
• The Full Monty: Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Original Musical or Comedy Score [O]
• In & Out: Supporting Actress (Joan Cusack)
• L.A. Confidential: Picture, Director, Supporting Actress (Kim Basinger) [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Dramatic Score, Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction, Sound
• The Lost World: Jurassic Park: Visual Effects
• Men in Black: Original Musical or Comedy Score, Art Direction, Makeup [O]

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 2-4, 1992

Weekend Box Office:

1. The Last of the Mohicans – $9,653,376 ($24,349,209 total) {week 2}
6. Mr. Saturday Night – $2,603,488 ($8,621,435 total) {week 2}
8. Glengarry Glen Ross – $2,104,402 ($2,104,402 total) {week 1}
999. Batman Returns – $324,251 ($161,989,566 total) {week 16}
999. Unforgiven – $548,223 ($73,146,825 total) {week 9}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. The Last of the Mohicans – $18,422,828 ($46,468,852 total)
6. Mr. Saturday Night – $4,968,584 ($16,453,437 total)
8. Glengarry Glen Ross – $4,016,112 ($4,016,112 total)
999. Batman Returns – $618,812 ($309,146,352 total)
999. Unforgiven – $1,046,247 ($139,595,868 total)

Oscar Details:

• Batman Returns: Makeup, Visual Effects
• Glengarry Glen Ross: Supporting Actor (Al Pacino)
• The Last of the Mohicans: Sound [O]
• Mr. Saturday Night: Supporting Actor (David Paymer)
• Unforgiven: Picture [O], Director [O], Actor (Clint Eastwood), Supporting Actor (Gene Hackman) [O], Original Screenplay, Editing [O], Cinematography, Art Direction, Sound

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 2-4, 1987

Weekend Box Office:

1. Fatal Attraction – $9,347,602 ($31,229,365 total) {week 3}
5. Dirty Dancing – $1,878,207 ($30,011,849 total) {week 7}
999. The Princess Bride – $204,198 ($500,847 total) {week 2}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Fatal Attraction – $18,934,273 ($63,257,435 total)
5. Dirty Dancing – $3,804,450 ($60,791,264 total)
999. The Princess Bride – $413,618 ($1,014,503 total)

Oscar Details:

• Dirty Dancing: Original Song (“(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life”) [O]
• Fatal Attraction: Picture, Director, Actress (Glenn Close), Supporting Actress (Anne Archer), Adapted Screenplay, Editing
• The Princess Bride: Original Song (“Storybook Love”)

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 1-3, 1982

Weekend Box Office:

1. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial – $3,742,140 ($261,086,886 total) {week 17}
2. An Officer and a Gentleman – $3,376,880 ($65,997,548 total) {week 10}
7. The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas – $885,578 ($67,834,702 total) {week 11}
9. Rocky III – $611,375 ($115,870,775 total) {week 19}
10. The World According to Garp – $575,506 ($27,608,648 total) {week 11}
11. Yes, Giorgio – $518,786 (n/a total) {week 2}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial – $10,080,867 ($703,336,101 total)
2. An Officer and a Gentleman – $9,096,901 ($177,789,313 total)
7. The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas – $2,385,639 ($182,738,381 total)
9. Rocky III – $1,646,969 ($312,141,680 total)
10. The World According to Garp – $1,550,343 ($74,374,317 total)
11. Yes, Giorgio – $1,397,546 (n/a total)

Oscar Details:

• The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas: Supporting Actor (Charles Durning)
• E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial: Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Original Score [O], Editing, Cinematography, Sound [O], Sound Effects Editing [O], Visual Effects [O]
• An Officer and a Gentleman: Actress (Debra Winger), Supporting Actor (Louis Gossett Jr.) [O], Original Screenplay, Original Song (“Up Where We Belong”) [O], Original Score, Film Editing
• Rocky III: Original Song (“Eye of the Tiger”)
• The World According to Garp: Supporting Actor (John Lithgow), Supporting Actress (Glenn Close)
• Yes, Giorgio: Original Song (“If We Were in Love”)