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 Nov. 4-6, 2011

Weekend Box Office:

1. Puss in Boots – $33,054,644 ($75,527,682 total) {week 2}
7. Real Steel – $3,436,086 ($78,779,328 total) {week 5}
9. The Ides of March – $1,938,197 ($36,738,482 total) {week 5}
10. Moneyball – $1,786,441 ($70,213,831 total) {week 7}
13. Anonymous – $1,233,006 ($2,683,332 total) {week 2}
16. Margin Call – $717,839 ($2,516,349 total) {week 3}
21. The Help – $333,158 ($167,427,819 total) {week 13}
30. Drive – $197,534 ($34,064,642 total) {week 8}
31. Rise of the Planet of the Apes – $178,230 ($176,140,806 total) {week 14}
35. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 – $119,755 ($380,873,020 total) {week 17}
40. Midnight in Paris – $69,104 ($55,478,969 total) {week 25}
94. Hell and Back Again – $2,607 ($22,504 total) {week 5}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Puss in Boots – $34,055,037 ($77,813,513 total)
7. Real Steel – $3,540,079 ($81,163,570 total)
9. The Ides of March – $1,996,856 ($37,850,365 total)
10. Moneyball – $1,840,507 ($72,338,840 total)
13. Anonymous – $1,270,323 ($2,764,543 total)
16. Margin Call – $739,564 ($2,592,506 total)
21. The Help – $343,241 ($172,494,991 total)
30. Drive – $203,512 ($35,095,602 total)
31. Rise of the Planet of the Apes – $183,624 ($181,471,675 total)
35. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 – $123,379 ($392,400,072 total)
40. Midnight in Paris – $71,195 ($57,158,030 total)
94. Hell and Back Again – $2,686 ($23,185 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

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Nov. 3-5, 2006

Weekend Box Office:

1. Borat – $26,455,463 ($26,455,463 total) {week 1}
5. The Departed – $7,722,388 ($10,204,054 total) {week 5}
6. The Prestige – $7,505,268 ($39,135,541 total) {week 3}
7. Flags of Our Fathers – $4,419,657 ($26,550,769 total) {week 3}
10. The Queen – $2,909,966 ($9,986,970 total) {week 6}
12. Marie Antoinette – $2,212,839 ($12,946,803 total) {week 3}
20. Babel – $919,235 ($1,470,614 total) {week 2}
26. The Illusionist – $372,431 ($38,785,432 total) {week 12}
27. Little Miss Sunshine – $323,863 ($58,268,253 total) {week 15}
28. The Last King of Scotland – $268,855 ($2,809,919 total) {week 6}
30. Volver – $197,703 ($197,703 total) {week 1}
31. Little Children – $173,049 ($1,056,474 total) {week 5}
35. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – $121,641 ($42,156,001 total) {week 18}
52. The Devil Wears Prada – $47,601 ($124,610,018 total) {week 19}
57. Jesus Camp – $33,291 ($701,411 total) {week 8}
61. Deliver Us From Evil – $25,746 ($116,973 total) {week 4}
86. Half Nelson – $6,288 ($2,653,746 total) {week 13}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Borat – $32,998,646 ($32,998,646 total)
5. The Departed – $9,632,353 ($12,727,805 total)
6. The Prestige – $9,361,533 ($48,814,866 total)
7. Flags of Our Fathers – $5,512,763 ($33,117,524 total)
10. The Queen – $3,629,683 ($12,457,030 total)
12. Marie Antoinette – $2,760,137 ($16,148,913 total)
20. Babel – $1,146,588 ($1,834,338 total)
26. The Illusionist – $464,544 ($48,378,165 total)
27. Little Miss Sunshine – $403,963 ($72,679,638 total)
28. The Last King of Scotland – $335,350 ($3,504,891 total)
30. Volver – $246,601 ($246,601 total)
31. Little Children – $215,849 ($1,317,770 total)
35. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – $151,726 ($52,582,371 total)
52. The Devil Wears Prada – $59,374 ($155,429,595 total)
57. Jesus Camp – $41,525 ($874,890 total)
61. Deliver Us From Evil – $32,114 ($145,904 total)
86. Half Nelson – $7,843 ($3,310,092 total)

Oscar Details:

• Babel: Picture, Supporting Actress (Adriana Barraza, Rinko Kikuchi), Director, Original Screenplay, Original Score [O], Editing
• Borat: Adapted Screenplay
• 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
• 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
• Volver: Actress (Penelope Cruz)

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Nov. 2-4, 2001

Weekend Box Office:

1. Monsters, Inc. – $62,577,067 ($62,577,067 total) {week 1}
8. Training Day – $3,052,422 ($69,569,698 total) {week 5}
19. The Man Who Wasn’t There – $664,404 ($683,947 total) {week 1}
21. Mulholland Drive – $541,015 ($3,725,658 total) {week 4}
28. Shrek – $146,841 ($267,202,507 total) {week 25}
29. Amelie – $136,470 ($136,470 total) {week 1}
48. Ghost World – $51,595 ($5,979,791 total) {week 16}
51. Pearl Harbor – $43,421 ($198,421,875 total) {week 24}
999. Moulin Rouge! – $7,560 ($56,717,986 total) {week 25}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Monsters, Inc. – $90,327,674 ($90,327,674 total)
8. Training Day – $4,406,058 ($100,421,278 total)
19. The Man Who Wasn’t There – $959,043 ($987,252 total)
21. Mulholland Drive – $780,935 ($5,377,849 total)
28. Shrek – $211,960 ($385,696,905 total)
29. Amelie – $196,989 ($196,989 total)
48. Ghost World – $74,475 ($8,631,606 total)
51. Pearl Harbor – $62,677 ($286,414,615 total)
999. Moulin Rouge! – $10,913 ($81,870,308 total)

Oscar Details:

• Amelie: Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Art Direction, Sound, Foreign Language Film
• Ghost World: Adapted Screenplay
• The Man Who Wasn’t There: Cinematography
• Monsters, Inc.: Animated Feature, Original Song (If I Didn’t Have You [O]), Original Score, Sound Editing
• 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 Nov. 1-3, 1996

Weekend Box Office:

1. Romeo + Juliet – $11,133,231 ($11,133,231 total) {week 1}
2. Sleepers – $8,039,085 ($37,572,441 total) {week 3}
5. The Ghost and the Darkness – $3,660,201 ($31,779,391 total) {week 4}
7. First Wives Club – $3,561,788 ($93,741,105 total) {week 7}
11. Michael Collins – $2,209,786 ($6,067,321 total) {week 4}
12. That Thing You Do! – $1,181,717 ($22,164,288 total) {week 5}
14. Independence Day – $101,723 ($302,279,158 total) {week 18}
999. The Rock – $48,929 ($133,955,936 total) {week 22}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Romeo + Juliet – $20,578,846 ($20,578,846 total)
2. Sleepers – $14,859,576 ($69,449,512 total)
5. The Ghost and the Darkness – $6,765,575 ($58,741,544 total)
7. First Wives Club – $6,583,667 ($173,272,585 total)
11. Michael Collins – $4,084,604 ($11,214,935 total)
12. That Thing You Do! – $2,184,305 ($40,968,831 total)
14. Independence Day – $188,026 ($558,737,720 total)
999. The Rock – $90,441 ($247,606,334 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
• Romeo + Juliet: Art Direction
• Sleepers: Original Dramatic Score
• That Thing You Do!: Original Song (“That Thing You Do”)

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Nov. 1-3, 1991

Weekend Box Office:

9. The Fisher King – $1,786,480 ($33,515,465 total) {week 7}
999. Terminator 2: Judgment Day – $463,755 ($20,348,780 total) {week 18}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

9. The Fisher King – $3,466,874 ($65,040,700 total)
999. Terminator 2: Judgment Day – $899,971 ($39,489,200 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. 31-Nov. 2, 1986

Weekend Box Office:

1. Crocodile Dundee – $5,716,215 ($59,675,856 total) {week 6}
2. The Color of Money – $5,292,685 ($20,788,665 total) {week 3}
4. Peggy Sue Got Married – $3,335,536 ($21,741,232 total) {week 4}
7. Children of a Lesser God – $1,571,939 ($11,714,728 total) {week 5}
10. Top Gun – $1,158,343 ($160,334,394 total) {week 25}
11. Stand By Me – $1,135,510 ($38,632,323 total) {week 13}
999. Blue Velvet – $360,162 ($5,050,635 total) {week 7}
999. The Mission – $40,366 ($40,366 total) {week 1}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Crocodile Dundee – $12,587,999 ($131,415,564 total)
2. The Color of Money – $11,655,320 ($45,779,890 total)
4. Peggy Sue Got Married – $7,345,372 ($47,877,592 total)
7. Children of a Lesser God – $3,461,655 ($25,797,662 total)
10. Top Gun – $2,550,852 ($353,081,401 total)
11. Stand By Me – $2,500,571 ($85,074,415 total)
999. Blue Velvet – $793,133 ($11,122,288 total)
999. The Mission – $88,892 ($88,892 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
• The Mission: Picture, Director, Original Score, Editing, Cinematography [O], Art Direction, Costume Design
• 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