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

The Birth of a Nation (Wide)

Oscar Potential: Picture, Director, Actor (Nate Parker), Supporting Actress (Aunjanue Ellis), Supporting Actor (Armie Hammer), Original Screenplay, Original Score, Film Editing, Cinematography, Production Design, Costume Design, Makeup & Hairstyling, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing.

The Girl on the Train (Wide)

Oscar Potential: Actress (Emily Blunt).

Voyage of Time (Limited)

Oscar Potential: Cinematography, Documentary Feature.

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 14-16, 2011

Weekend Box Office:

1. Real Steel – $16,291,655 ($51,731,456 total) {week 2}
4. The Ides of March – $7,108,846 ($21,763,235 total) {week 2}
6. Moneyball – $5,456,730 ($57,668,988 total) {week 4}
14. The Help – $1,187,684 ($164,905,972 total) {week 10}
16. Drive – $1,116,149 ($32,113,455 total) {week 5}
19. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 – $284,548 ($380,235,400 total) {week 14}
22. Rise of the Planet of the Apes – $238,361 ($175,306,812 total) {week 11}
30. Midnight in Paris – $129,387 ($55,107,082 total) {week 22}
38. Warrior – $68,436 ($13,572,543 total) {week 6}
88. The Tree of Life – $5,740 ($13,292,167 total) {week 21}
101. Hell and Back Again – $3,597 ($11,057 total) {week 2}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Real Steel – $16,784,719 ($53,297,099 total)
4. The Ides of March – $7,323,994 ($22,421,895 total)
6. Moneyball – $5,621,877 ($59,414,329 total)
14. The Help – $1,223,629 ($169,896,821 total)
16. Drive – $1,149,929 ($33,085,363 total)
19. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 – $293,160 ($391,743,155 total)
22. Rise of the Planet of the Apes – $245,575 ($180,612,441 total)
30. Midnight in Paris – $133,303 ($56,774,888 total)
38. Warrior – $70,507 ($13,983,314 total)
88. The Tree of Life – $5,914 ($13,694,452 total)
101. Hell and Back Again – $3,706 ($11,392 total)

Oscar Details:

• Drive: Sound Editing
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2: Art Direction, Makeup, Visual Effects
• Hell and Back Again: Documentary Feature
• The Help: Picture, Actress (Viola Davis), Supporting Actress (Jessica Chastain, Octavia Spencer [O])
• The Ides of March: Adapted Screenplay
• Midnight in Paris: Picture, Directing, Original Screenplay [O], Art Direction
• Moneyball: Picture, Actor (Brad Pitt), Supporting Actor (Jonah Hill), Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing, Sound Mixing
• Real Steel: Visual Effects
• Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Visual Effects
• The Tree of Life: Picture, Directing, Cinematography
• Warrior: Supporting Actor (Nick Nolte)

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 13-15, 2006

Weekend Box Office:

2. The Departed – $19,034,294 ($56,985,185 total) {week 2}
11. The Illusionist – $1,374,959 ($36,242,974 total) {week 9}
13. The Queen – $1,022,475 ($1,861,414 total) {week 3}
15. Little Miss Sunshine – $872,422 ($56,362,905 total) {week 12}
19. The Last King of Scotland – $611,129 ($1,270,711 total) {week 3}
24. Monster House – $240,937 ($73,394,814 total) {week 13}
26. Superman Returns – $216,430 ($199,732,905 total) {week 16}
29. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – $187,342 ($421,060,364 total) {week 15}
34. The Black Dahlia – $137,765 ($22,412,530 total) {week 5}
36. The Devil Wears Prada – $127,401 ($124,315,405 total) {week 16}
41. Jesus Camp – $99,566 ($490,017 total) {week 5}
45. Little Children – $84,551 ($230,497 total) {week 2}
46. Cars – $83,225 ($244,052,771 total) {week 19}
48. Half Nelson – $75,295 ($2,506,509 total) {week 10}
65. An Inconvenient Truth – $20,804 ($23,772,253 total) {week 21}
69. Deliver Us From Evil – $15,656 ($15,656 total) {week 1}
115. Water – $1,302 ($3,278,815 total) {week 25}
125. My Country, My Country – $626 ($31,674 total) {week 11}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. The Departed – $23,742,013 ($71,079,231 total)
11. The Illusionist – $1,715,025 ($45,206,885 total)
13. The Queen – $1,275,362 ($2,321,794 total)
15. Little Miss Sunshine – $1,088,197 ($70,303,043 total)
19. The Last King of Scotland – $762,278 ($1,584,994 total)
24. Monster House – $300,528 ($91,547,424 total)
26. Superman Returns – $269,959 ($249,132,494 total)
29. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – $233,677 ($525,200,485 total)
34. The Black Dahlia – $171,838 ($27,955,782 total)
36. The Devil Wears Prada – $158,911 ($155,062,116 total)
41. Jesus Camp – $124,191 ($611,212 total)
45. Little Children – $105,463 ($287,505 total)
46. Cars – $103,809 ($304,413,914 total)
48. Half Nelson – $93,918 ($3,126,439 total)
65. An Inconvenient Truth – $25,949 ($29,651,803 total)
69. Deliver Us From Evil – $19,528 ($19,528 total)
115. Water – $1,624 ($4,089,759 total)
125. My Country, My Country – $781 ($39,508 total)

Oscar Details:

• The Black Dahlia: Cinematography
• Cars: Animated Feature, Original Song (“Our Town”)
• Deliver Us From Evil: Documentary Feature
• The Departed: Picture [O], Director [O], Supporting Actor (Mark Wahlberg), Adapted Screenplay [O], Editing
• 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]
• Jesus Camp: Documentary Feature
• The Last King of Scotland: Actor (Forest Whitaker [O])
• Little Children: Actress (Kate Winslet), Supporting Actor (Jackie Earle Haley), Adapted Screenplay
• 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]
• The Queen: Picture, Director, Actress (Helen Mirren [O]), Original Screenplay, Original Score, Costume Design
• Superman Returns: Visual Effects
• Water: Foreign Language Film

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 12-14, 2001

Weekend Box Office:

1. Training Day – $13,386,457 ($43,439,167 total) {week 2}
14. Mulholland Drive – $587,591 ($664,013 total) {week 1}
22. Shrek – $259,620 ($266,283,207 total) {week 22}
29. Pearl Harbor – $183,116 ($198,066,399 total) {week 21}
30. Ghost World – $168,673 ($5,620,140 total) {week 13}
59. Divided We Fall – $32,196 ($1,186,221 total) {week 19}
999. Moulin Rouge! – $19,412 ($56,663,217 total) {week 22}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Training Day – $19,322,854 ($62,702,826 total)
14. Mulholland Drive – $848,166 ($958,478 total)
22. Shrek – $374,752 ($384,369,930 total)
29. Pearl Harbor – $264,321 ($285,901,498 total)
30. Ghost World – $243,473 ($8,112,464 total)
59. Divided We Fall – $46,474 ($1,712,266 total)
999. Moulin Rouge! – $28,021 ($81,791,251 total)

Oscar Details:

• Divided We Fall: Foreign Language Film
• Ghost World: Adapted Screenplay
• Moulin Rouge!: Picture, Actress (Nicole Kidman), Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Makeup, Sound
• Mulholland Drive: Director
• Pearl Harbor: Original Song (“There You’ll Be”), Sound, Sound Editing [O], Visual Effects
• Shrek: Animated Feature [O], Adapted Screenplay
• Training Day: Actor (Denzel Washington [O]), Supporting Actor (Ethan Hawke)

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 11-13, 1996

Weekend Box Office:

1. The Ghost and the Darkness – $9,215,063 ($9,215,063 total) {week 1}
2. First Wives Club – $9,129,015 ($72,065,363 total) {week 4}
5. That Thing You Do! – $4,929,221 ($12,651,209 total) {week 2}
9. Fly Away Home – $1,603,033 ($17,878,583 total) {week 5}
10. Independence Day – $1,296,679 ($297,433,529 total) {week 15}
999. Michael Collins – $182,221 ($182,221 total) {week 1}
999. The Rock – $136,614 ($133,600,967 total) {week 19}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. The Ghost and the Darkness – $17,033,273 ($17,033,273 total)
2. First Wives Club – $16,874,220 ($133,206,791 total)
5. That Thing You Do! – $9,111,252 ($23,384,701 total)
9. Fly Away Home – $2,963,072 ($33,047,064 total)
10. Independence Day – $2,396,803 ($549,780,980 total)
999. Michael Collins – $336,820 ($336,820 total)
999. The Rock – $252,520 ($246,950,204 total)

Oscar Details:

• First Wives Club: Original Comedy or Musical Score
• Fly Away Home: Cinematography
• The Ghost and the Darkness: Sound Effects [O]
• Independence Day: Sound, Visual Effects [O]
• Michael Collins: Original Score, Cinematography
• The Rock: Sound
• That Thing You Do!: Original Song (“That Thing You Do”)

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 11-13, 1991

Weekend Box Office:

1. The Fisher King – $4,993,580 ($22,874,680 total) {week 4}
12. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves – $1,261,709 ($162,048,348 total) {week 18}
999. Terminator 2: Judgment Day – $664,020 ($198,037,242 total) {week 15}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. The Fisher King – $9,690,629 ($44,391,006 total)
12. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves – $2,448,495 ($314,473,872 total)
999. Terminator 2: Judgment Day – $1,288,609 ($384,314,553 total)

Oscar Details:

• The Fisher King: Actor (Robin Williams), Supporting Actress (Mercedes Ruehl) [O], Original Screenplay, Original Score, Art Direction
• Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves: Original Song (“(Everything I Do) I Do It for You”)
• Terminator 2: Judgment Day: Editing, Cinematography, Makeup [O], Sound [O], Sound Effects [O], Visual Effects [O]

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 10-12, 1986

Weekend Box Office:

1. Crocodile Dundee – $10,560,827 ($32,840,242 total) {week 3}
2. Peggy Sue Got Married – $6,942,408 ($6,942,408 total) {week 1}
6. Top Gun – $2,673,978 ($154,110,655 total) {week 22}
7. Stand By Me – $2,052,054 ($33,642,395 total) {week 10}
8. Children of a Lesser God – $1,928,543 ($4,507,215 total) {week 2}
9. That’s Life – $1,444,284 ($2,251,938 total) {week 3}
10. The Karate Kid Part II – $940,279 ($110,722,495 total) {week 17}
12. Blue Velvet – $567,465 ($3,438,313 total) {week 4}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Crocodile Dundee – $23,256,592 ($72,319,347 total)
2. Peggy Sue Got Married – $15,288,268 ($15,288,268 total)
6. Top Gun – $5,888,518 ($339,375,755 total)
7. Stand By Me – $4,518,944 ($74,085,813 total)
8. Children of a Lesser God – $4,246,953 ($9,925,592 total)
9. That’s Life – $3,180,539 ($4,959,120 total)
10. The Karate Kid Part II – $2,070,641 ($243,828,244 total)
12. Blue Velvet – $1,249,647 ($7,571,703 total)

Oscar Details:

• Blue Velvet: Director
• Children of a Lesser God: Picture, Actor (William Hurt), Actress (Marlee Matlin [O]), Supporting Actress (Piper Laurie), Adapted Screenplay
• Crocodile Dundee: Original Screenplay
• The Karate Kid Part II: Original Song (“Glory of Love”)
• Peggy Sue Got Married: Actress (Kathleen Turner), Cinematography, Costume Design
• Stand By Me: Adapted Screenplay
• That’s Life: Original Song (“Life in a Looking Glass”)
• Top Gun: Original Song (“Take My Breath Away” [O]), Editing, Sound, Sound Effects