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

Moonlight (Limited)

Oscar Potential: Picture, Director, Actor (Mahershala Ali), Original Screenplay, Film Editing.

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 28-30, 2011

Weekend Box Office:

1. Puss in Boots – $34,077,439 ($34,077,439 total) {week 1}
6. Real Steel – $4,783,149 ($73,941,416 total) {week 4}
8. The Ides of March – $2,804,435 ($33,600,618 total) {week 4}
9. Moneyball – $2,387,049 ($67,408,099 total) {week 6}
999. Anonymous – $1,021,768 ($1,021,768 total) {week 1}
999. Drive – $267,464 ($33,720,938 total) {week 7}
999. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 – $111,150 ($380,707,704 total) {week 16}
999. Hell and Back Again – $1,574 ($19,137 total) {week 4}
999. The Help – $395,658 ($166,904,059 total) {week 12}
999. Margin Call – $729,096 ($1,490,343 total) {week 2}
999. Midnight in Paris – $61,167 ($55,378,524 total) {week 24}
999. Rise of the Planet of the Apes – $174,885 ($175,888,652 total) {week 13}
999. Warrior – $7,736 ($13,651,662 total) {week 8}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Puss in Boots – $35,108,786 ($35,108,786 total)
6. Real Steel – $4,927,910 ($76,179,239 total)
8. The Ides of March – $2,889,311 ($34,617,535 total)
9. Moneyball – $2,459,293 ($69,448,193 total)
999. Anonymous – $1,052,692 ($1,052,692 total)
999. Drive – $275,559 ($34,741,496 total)
999. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 – $114,514 ($392,229,753 total)
999. Hell and Back Again – $1,622 ($19,716 total)
999. The Help – $407,633 ($171,955,380 total)
999. Margin Call – $751,162 ($1,535,448 total)
999. Midnight in Paris – $63,018 ($57,054,545 total)
999. Rise of the Planet of the Apes – $180,178 ($181,211,890 total)
999. Warrior – $7,970 ($14,064,827 total)

Oscar Details:

• Anonymous: Costume Design
• 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
• Margin Call: Original 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
• Puss in Boots: Animated Feature
• Real Steel: Visual Effects
• Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Visual Effects
• Warrior: Supporting Actor (Nick Nolte)

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 27-29, 2006

Weekend Box Office:

2. The Departed – $9,848,258 ($91,098,431 total) {week 4}
3. The Prestige – $9,573,215 ($28,780,742 total) {week 2}
4. Flags of Our Fathers – $6,346,856 ($19,923,069 total) {week 2}
9. Marie Antoinette – $2,845,815 ($9,752,091 total) {week 2}
14. The Queen – $1,909,139 ($6,289,941 total) {week 5}
20. The Illusionist – $505,971 ($38,218,510 total) {week 11}
23. Little Miss Sunshine – $404,453 ($57,803,486 total) {week 14}
24. Babel – $389,351 ($389,351 total) {week 1}
25. The Last King of Scotland – $337,618 ($2,419,935 total) {week 5}
27. Little Children – $199,947 ($803,508 total) {week 4}
39. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – $108,375 ($421,392,843 total) {week 17}
48. The Devil Wears Prada – $52,473 ($124,541,866 total) {week 18}
55. Superman Returns – $40,505 ($200,069,408 total) {week 18}
57. Deliver Us From Evil – $32,942 ($70,818 total) {week 3}
58. Jesus Camp – $31,887 ($654,802 total) {week 7}
64. Half Nelson – $20,515 ($2,639,124 total) {week 12}
92. An Inconvenient Truth – $5,905 ($23,808,111 total) {week 23}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. The Departed – $12,284,010 ($113,629,646 total)
3. The Prestige – $11,940,941 ($35,899,032 total)
4. Flags of Our Fathers – $7,916,613 ($24,850,607 total)
9. Marie Antoinette – $3,549,665 ($12,164,059 total)
14. The Queen – $2,381,323 ($7,845,621 total)
20. The Illusionist – $631,112 ($47,671,027 total)
23. Little Miss Sunshine – $504,486 ($72,099,921 total)
24. Babel – $485,648 ($485,648 total)
25. The Last King of Scotland – $421,120 ($3,018,453 total)
27. Little Children – $249,400 ($1,002,238 total)
39. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – $135,179 ($525,615,195 total)
48. The Devil Wears Prada – $65,451 ($155,344,587 total)
55. Superman Returns – $50,523 ($249,552,223 total)
57. Deliver Us From Evil – $41,089 ($88,333 total)
58. Jesus Camp – $39,774 ($816,753 total)
64. Half Nelson – $25,589 ($3,291,854 total)
92. An Inconvenient Truth – $7,365 ($29,696,529 total)

Oscar Details:

• Babel: Picture, Supporting Actress (Adriana Barraza, Rinko Kikuchi), Director, Original Screenplay, Original Score [O], Editing
• 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
• Flags of Our Fathers: Sound Mixing, Sound Editing
• 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]
• Marie Antoinette: Costume Design [O]
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest: Art Direction, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects [O]
• The Prestige: Cinematography, Art Direction
• The Queen: Picture, Director, Actress (Helen Mirren [O]), Original Screenplay, Original Score, Costume Design
• Superman Returns: Visual Effects

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 26-28, 2001

Weekend Box Office:

5. Training Day – $5,137,712 ($65,029,281 total) {week 4}
18. Mulholland Drive – $685,448 ($2,926,493 total) {week 3}
25. Shrek – $261,875 ($266,982,666 total) {week 24}
44. Ghost World – $66,734 ($5,902,567 total) {week 15}
45. Pearl Harbor – $63,749 ($198,356,396 total) {week 23}
999. Moulin Rouge! – $7,464 ($56,705,791 total) {week 24}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

5. Training Day – $7,416,097 ($93,867,354 total)
18. Mulholland Drive – $989,419 ($4,224,284 total)
25. Shrek – $378,007 ($385,379,573 total)
44. Ghost World – $96,328 ($8,520,136 total)
45. Pearl Harbor – $92,019 ($286,320,098 total)
999. Moulin Rouge! – $10,774 ($81,852,705 total)

Oscar Details:

• 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. 25-27, 1996

Weekend Box Office:

1. Sleepers – $9,605,059 ($26,351,436 total) {week 2}
4. The Ghost and the Darkness – $439,078 ($26,792,125 total) {week 3}
5. First Wives Club – $4,380,111 ($88,693,006 total) {week 6}
8. Michael Collins – $2,409,761 ($2,941,151 total) {week 3}
9. That Thing You Do! – $2,050,606 ($20,554,737 total) {week 4}
13. Independence Day – $1,217,504 ($30,880,790 total) {week 17}
999. The Rock – $66,101 ($133,881,431 total) {week 21}
999. When We Were Kings – $12,479 ($12,479 total) {week 1}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Sleepers – $17,754,148 ($48,708,424 total)
4. The Ghost and the Darkness – $811,599 ($49,523,000 total)
5. First Wives Club – $8,096,269 ($163,941,597 total)
8. Michael Collins – $4,454,241 ($5,436,471 total)
9. That Thing You Do! – $3,790,374 ($37,993,711 total)
13. Independence Day – $2,250,454 ($57,080,555 total)
999. The Rock – $122,182 ($247,468,618 total)
999. When We Were Kings – $23,066 ($23,066 total)

Oscar Details:

• First Wives Club: Original Comedy or Musical Score
• The Ghost and the Darkness: Sound Effects [O]
• Independence Day: Sound, Visual Effects [O]
• Michael Collins: Original Score, Cinematography
• The Rock: Sound
• Sleepers: Original Dramatic Score
• That Thing You Do!: Original Song (“That Thing You Do”)
• When We Were Kings: Documentary Feature

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 25-27, 1991

Weekend Box Office:

4. The Fisher King – $2,507,041 ($30,907,426 total) {week 6}
16. Terminator 2: Judgment Day – $650,170 ($199,698,204 total) {week 17}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

4. The Fisher King – $4,865,208 ($59,979,494 total)
16. Terminator 2: Judgment Day – $1,261,731 ($387,537,845 total)

Oscar Details:

• The Fisher King: Actor (Robin Williams), Supporting Actress (Mercedes Ruehl) [O], Original Screenplay, Original Score, Art Direction
• Terminator 2: Judgment Day: Editing, Cinematography, Makeup [O], Sound [O], Sound Effects [O], Visual Effects [O]

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 24-26, 1986

Weekend Box Office:

1. Crocodile Dundee – $6,745,249 ($51,846,699 total) {week 5}
2. The Color of Money – $5,256,823 ($13,742,233 total) {week 2}
4. Peggy Sue Got Married – $4,169,418 ($17,534,696 total) {week 3}
8. Children of a Lesser God – $1,810,811 ($9,546,141 total) {week 4}
9. Top Gun – $1,576,139 ($158,722,140 total) {week 24}
10. Stand By Me – $1,356,734 ($37,118,886 total) {week 12}
999. Blue Velvet – $357,699 ($4,528,216 total) {week 6}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Crocodile Dundee – $14,854,093 ($114,174,537 total)
2. The Color of Money – $11,576,346 ($30,262,545 total)
4. Peggy Sue Got Married – $9,181,710 ($38,614,142 total)
8. Children of a Lesser God – $3,987,689 ($21,022,095 total)
9. Top Gun – $3,470,904 ($349,530,966 total)
10. Stand By Me – $2,987,740 ($81,741,590 total)
999. Blue Velvet – $787,709 ($9,971,840 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
• The Color of Money: Actor (Paul Newman [O]), Supporting Actress (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), Adapted Screenplay, Art Direction
• Crocodile Dundee: Original Screenplay
• Peggy Sue Got Married: Actress (Kathleen Turner), Cinematography, Costume Design
• Stand By Me: Adapted Screenplay
• Top Gun: Original Song (“Take My Breath Away” [O]), Editing, Sound, Sound Effects