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 Feb. 3-5, 2012
Weekend Box Office:
- The Descendants – $4,552,943 ($65,475,595 total) {week 12}
- Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close – $3,802,367 ($26,670,043 total) {week 7}
- The Artist – $2,612,607 ($20,631,851 total) {week 11}
- Hugo – $2,272,390 ($61,911,429 total) {week 11}
- The Iron Lady – $1,898,183 ($20,655,532 total) {week 6}
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – $1,022,358 ($99,903,823 total) {week 7}
- War Horse – $960,780 ($77,296,287 total) {week 7}
- The Adventures of Tintin – $709,180 ($75,323,319 total) {week 7}
- Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – $670,429 ($21,185,121 total) {week 9}
- Albert Nobbs – $490,762 ($1,528,705 total) {week 2}
- A Separation – $280,258 ($1,258,706 total) {week 6}
- My Week with Marilyn – $254,703 ($13,005,861 total) {week 11}
- Puss in Boots – $250,103 ($148,459,367 total) {week 15}
- Pina – $190,976 ($1,349,091 total) {week 7}
- The Muppets – $118,900 ($87,476,727 total) {week 11}
- W.E. – $47,074 ($47,074 total) {week 1}
- Real Steel – $43,430 ($85,433,069 total) {week 18}
- Midnight in Paris – $22,402 ($56,506,142 total) {week 38}
- The Help – $14,736 ($169,613,398 total) {week 26}
- Drive – $11,972 ($35,055,775 total) {week 21}
- Margin Call – $902 ($5,352,843 total) {week 16}
- Hell and Back Again – $302 ($37,539 total) {week 18}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- The Descendants – $4,673,058 ($67,202,966 total)
- Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close – $3,902,681 ($27,373,650 total)
- The Artist – $2,681,533 ($21,176,159 total)
- Hugo – $2,332,340 ($63,544,771 total)
- The Iron Lady – $1,948,261 ($21,200,464 total)
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – $1,049,330 ($102,539,477 total)
- War Horse – $986,127 ($79,335,511 total)
- The Adventures of Tintin – $727,890 ($77,310,492 total)
- Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – $688,116 ($21,744,025 total)
- Albert Nobbs – $503,709 ($1,569,035 total)
- A Separation – $287,652 ($1,291,913 total)
- My Week with Marilyn – $261,423 ($13,348,980 total)
- Puss in Boots – $256,701 ($152,376,009 total)
- Pina – $196,014 ($1,384,683 total)
- The Muppets – $122,037 ($89,784,530 total)
- W.E. – $48,316 ($48,316 total)
- Real Steel – $44,576 ($87,686,956 total)
- Midnight in Paris – $22,993 ($57,996,882 total)
- The Help – $15,125 ($174,088,123 total)
- Drive – $12,288 ($35,980,613 total)
- Margin Call – $926 ($5,494,061 total)
- Hell and Back Again – $310 ($38,529 total)
Oscar Details:
- The Adventures of Tintin: Original Score
- Albert Nobbs: Actress (Glenn Close), Supporting Actress (Janet McTeer), Makeup
- The Artist: Picture [O], Directing [O], Actor (Jean Dujardin) [O], Supporting Actress (Bรฉrรฉnice Bejo), Original Screenplay, Original Score [O], Film Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design [O]
- The Descendants: Picture, Directing, Actor (George Clooney), Adapted Screenplay [O], Film Editing
- Drive: Sound Editing
- Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close: Picture, Supporting Actor (Max von Sydow)
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Actress (Rooney Mara), Film Editing [O], Cinematography, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing
- Hell and Back Again: Documentary Feature
- The Help: Picture, Actress (Viola Davis), Supporting Actress (Jessica Chastain, Octavia Spencer [O])
- Hugo: Picture, Directing, Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, Film Editing, Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Costume Design, Sound Mixing [O], Sound Editing [O], Visual Effects [O]
- The Iron Lady: Actress (Meryl Streep) [O], Makeup [O]
- Margin Call: Original Screenplay
- Midnight in Paris: Picture, Directing, Original Screenplay [O], Art Direction
- The Muppets: Original Song (“Man or Muppet”)
- My Week with Marilyn: Actress (Michelle Williams), Supporting Actor (Kenneth Branagh)
- Pina: Documentary Feature
- Puss in Boots: Animated Feature
- Real Steel: Visual Effects
- A Separation: Original Screenplay, Foreign Language Film [O]
- Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: Actor (Gary Oldman), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score
- W.E.: Costume Design
- War Horse: Picture, Original Score, Cinematography, Art Direction, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing
10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Feb. 2-4, 2007
Weekend Box Office:
- Dreamgirls – $4,000,521 ($92,748,249 total) {week 8}
- Pan’s Labyrinth – $3,682,699 ($21,715,849 total) {week 6}
- The Pursuit of Happyness – $2,966,454 ($157,217,102 total) {week 8}
- The Queen – $2,650,134 ($45,461,958 total) {week 19}
- The Departed – $2,287,463 ($128,583,307 total) {week 18}
- Notes on a Scandal – $1,750,593 ($11,748,839 total) {week 7}
- Babel – $1,701,657 ($29,715,747 total) {week 15}
- Letters from Iwo Jima – $1,696,356 ($7,478,563 total) {week 7}
- The Last King of Scotland – $1,268,117 ($9,624,115 total) {week 19}
- Children of Men – $1,123,360 ($32,726,893 total) {week 6}
- Blood Diamond – $871,401 ($53,958,457 total) {week 9}
- Volver – $727,281 ($10,067,816 total) {week 14}
- Happy Feet – $591,291 ($192,708,687 total) {week 12}
- Venus – $374,736 ($1,226,956 total) {week 7}
- The Good Shepherd – $277,920 ($59,462,475 total) {week 7}
- Little Children – $220,306 ($4,374,256 total) {week 18}
- Borat – $157,458 ($128,062,911 total) {week 14}
- Apocalypto – $103,472 ($50,403,817 total) {week 9}
- The Curse of the Golden Flower – $66,822 ($6,366,049 total) {week 7}
- Little Miss Sunshine – $33,421 ($59,675,437 total) {week 28}
- The Good German – $30,693 ($1,032,112 total) {week 8}
- The Prestige – $17,265 ($53,082,743 total) {week 16}
- Iraq in Fragments – $4,480 ($88,903 total) {week 11}
- Jesus Camp – $3,157 ($897,561 total) {week 21}
- The Illusionist – $2,257 ($39,865,785 total) {week 25}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- Dreamgirls – $4,750,619 ($110,138,546 total)
- Pan’s Labyrinth – $4,373,205 ($25,787,571 total)
- The Pursuit of Happyness – $3,522,664 ($186,695,309 total)
- The Queen – $3,147,034 ($53,986,075 total)
- The Departed – $2,716,362 ($152,692,677 total)
- Notes on a Scandal – $2,078,829 ($13,951,746 total)
- Babel – $2,020,718 ($35,287,450 total)
- Letters from Iwo Jima – $2,014,423 ($8,880,794 total)
- The Last King of Scotland – $1,505,889 ($11,428,637 total)
- Children of Men – $1,333,990 ($38,863,185 total)
- Blood Diamond – $1,034,789 ($64,075,668 total)
- Volver – $863,646 ($11,955,532 total)
- Happy Feet – $702,158 ($228,841,566 total)
- Venus – $444,999 ($1,457,010 total)
- The Good Shepherd – $330,030 ($70,611,689 total)
- Little Children – $261,613 ($5,194,429 total)
- Borat – $186,981 ($152,074,707 total)
- Apocalypto – $122,873 ($59,854,533 total)
- The Curse of the Golden Flower – $79,351 ($7,559,683 total)
- Little Miss Sunshine – $39,687 ($70,864,581 total)
- The Good German – $36,448 ($1,225,633 total)
- The Prestige – $20,502 ($63,035,757 total)
- Iraq in Fragments – $5,320 ($105,572 total)
- Jesus Camp – $3,749 ($1,065,854 total)
- The Illusionist – $2,680 ($47,340,620 total)
Oscar Details:
- Apocalypto: Makeup, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing
- Babel: Picture, Supporting Actress (Adriana Barraza, Rinko Kikuchi), Director, Original Screenplay, Original Score [O], Editing
- Blood Diamond: Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio), Supporting Actor (Djimon Hounsou), Editing, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing
- Borat: Adapted Screenplay
- Children of Men: Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Cinematography
- The Curse of the Golden Flower: Costume Design
- The Departed: Picture [O], Director [O], Supporting Actor (Mark Wahlberg), Adapted Screenplay [O], Editing
- Dreamgirls: Supporting Actor (Eddie Murphy), Supporting Actress (Jennifer Hudson) [O], Original Song (“Listen”, “Love You I Do”, “Patience”), Art Direction, Costume Design, Sound [O]
- The Good German: Original Score
- The Good Shepherd: Art Direction
- Happy Feet: Animated Feature [O]
- The Illusionist: Cinematography
- Iraq in Fragments: Documentary Feature
- Jesus Camp: Documentary Feature
- The Last King of Scotland: Actor (Forest Whitaker [O])
- Letters from Iwo Jima: Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Sound Editing [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]
- Notes on a Scandal: Actress (Judi Dench), Supporting Actress (Cate Blanchett), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score
- Pan’s Labyrinth: Original Screenplay, Original Score, Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Makeup [O], Foreign Language Film
- The Prestige: Cinematography, Art Direction
- The Pursuit of Happyness: Actor (Will Smith)
- The Queen: Picture, Director, Actress (Helen Mirren [O]), Original Screenplay, Original Score, Costume Design
- Venus: Actor (Peter O’Toole)
- Volver: Actress (Penelope Cruz)
15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Feb. 1-3, 2002
Weekend Box Office:
- Black Hawk Down – $11,112,555 ($75,063,935 total) {week 6}
- A Beautiful Mind – $8,403,690 ($104,502,101 total) {week 7}
- I Am Sam – $6,303,148 ($17,293,331 total) {week 6}
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – $5,704,259 ($266,274,199 total) {week 7}
- Gosford Park – $2,362,403 ($19,288,263 total) {week 6}
- The Royal Tenenbaums – $2,300,761 ($44,763,356 total) {week 8}
- In the Bedroom – $1,827,414 ($16,985,037 total) {week 11}
- Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius – $1,206,339 ($77,730,692 total) {week 7}
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – $1,010,416 ($312,936,385 total) {week 12}
- Vanilla Sky – $943,555 ($97,545,036 total) {week 1}
- Kate & Leopold – $826,691 ($46,296,502 total) {week 6}
- Amelie – $780,317 ($23,524,870 total) {week 14}
- Monsters, Inc. – $442,164 ($251,264,540 total) {week 14}
- Monster’s Ball – $314,439 ($1,467,079 total) {week 6}
- Ali – $151,524 ($58,111,170 total) {week 6}
- Mulholland Drive – $81,305 ($6,545,178 total) {week 17}
- The Man Who Wasn’t There – $31,205 ($7,370,096 total) {week 14}
- No Man’s Land – $22,975 ($453,936 total) {week 9}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- Black Hawk Down – $15,626,433 ($105,554,621 total)
- A Beautiful Mind – $11,817,237 ($146,950,459 total)
- I Am Sam – $8,863,463 ($24,317,817 total)
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – $8,021,307 ($374,433,770 total)
- Gosford Park – $3,322,002 ($27,123,082 total)
- The Royal Tenenbaums – $3,235,321 ($62,946,062 total)
- In the Bedroom – $2,569,703 ($23,884,295 total)
- Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius – $1,696,349 ($109,304,605 total)
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – $1,420,843 ($440,049,960 total)
- Vanilla Sky – $1,326,823 ($137,167,460 total)
- Kate & Leopold – $1,162,490 ($65,101,966 total)
- Amelie – $1,097,279 ($33,080,583 total)
- Monsters, Inc. – $621,769 ($353,327,245 total)
- Monster’s Ball – $442,163 ($2,063,001 total)
- Ali – $213,072 ($81,715,707 total)
- Mulholland Drive – $114,331 ($9,203,805 total)
- The Man Who Wasn’t There – $43,880 ($10,363,801 total)
- No Man’s Land – $32,307 ($638,323 total)
Oscar Details:
- Ali: Actor (Will Smith), Supporting Actor (Jon Voight)
- Amelie: Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Art Direction, Sound, Foreign Language Film
- A Beautiful Mind: Picture [O], Director [O], Actor (Russell Crowe), Supporting Actress (Jennifer Connelly) [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing, Makeup
- Black Hawk Down: Directing, Film Editing [O], Cinematography, Sound [O]
- Gosford Park: Picture, Director, Supporting Actress (Helen Mirren, Maggie Smith), Original Screenplay [O], Art Direction, Costume Design
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: Original Score, Art Direction, Costume Design
- I Am Sam: Actor (Sean Penn)
- In the Bedroom: Picture, Actor (Tom Wilkinson), Actress (Sissy Spacek), Supporting Actress (Marisa Tomei), Adapted Screenplay
- Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius: Animated Feature
- Kate & Leopold: Original Song (“Until”)
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Ian McKellen), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score [O], Original Song (“May It Be”), Editing, Cinematography [O], Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup [O], Sound, Visual Effects [O]
- The Man Who Wasn’t There: Cinematography
- Monster’s Ball: Actress (Halle Berry) [O], Original Screenplay
- Monsters, Inc.: Animated Feature, Original Song (If I Didn’t Have You [O]), Original Score, Sound Editing
- Mulholland Drive: Director
- No Man’s Land: Foreign Language Film
- The Royal Tenenbaums: Original Screenplay
- Vanilla Sky: Original Song (“Vanilla Sky”)
20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jan. 31-Feb. 2, 1997
Weekend Box Office:
- Jerry Maguire – $5,183,347 ($116,588,785 total) {week 8}
- Evita – $4,374,631 ($36,750,253 total) {week 6}
- The English Patient – $1,853,099 ($39,205,217 total) {week 12}
- Shine – $1,367,537 ($14,536,416 total) {week 11}
- The People vs. Larry Flynt – $1,165,521 ($17,816,628 total) {week 6}
- One Fine Day – $694,306 ($43,620,819 total) {week 7}
- Hamlet – $417,453 ($1,651,891 total) {week 6}
- Prisoner of the Mountains – $17,205 ($17,205 total) {week 1}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- Jerry Maguire – $9,226,132 ($207,522,957 total)
- Evita – $7,786,653 ($65,413,849 total)
- The English Patient – $3,298,435 ($69,783,578 total)
- Shine – $2,434,156 ($25,874,187 total)
- The People vs. Larry Flynt – $2,074,577 ($31,712,822 total)
- One Fine Day – $1,235,834 ($77,643,157 total)
- Hamlet – $743,048 ($2,940,294 total)
- Prisoner of the Mountains – $30,624 ($30,624 total)
Oscar Details:
- The English Patient: Picture [O], Director [O], Actor (Ralph Fiennes), Actress (Kristin Scott Thomas), Supporting Actress (Juliette Binoche [O]), Adapted Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score [O], Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Sound [O]
- Evita: Original Song (“You Must Love Me”) [O], Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction, Sound
- Hamlet: Adapted Screenplay, Drama Score, Art Direction, Costume Design
- Jerry Maguire: Picture, Actor (Tom Cruise), Supporting Actor (Cuba Gooding Jr.) [O], Original Screenplay, Film Editing
- One Fine Day: Original Song (“For the First Time”)
- The People vs. Larry Flynt: Director, Actor (Woody Harrelson)
- Prisoner of the Mountains: Foreign Language Film
- Shine: Picture, Director, Actor (Geoffrey Rush) [O], Supporting Actor (Armin Mueller-Stahl), Original Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score, Editing
25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jan. 31-Feb. 2, 1992
Weekend Box Office:
- Fried Green Tomatoes – $6,675,765 ($16,816,819 total) {week 6}
- Grand Canyon – $3,628,290 ($20,534,475 total) {week 6}
- Beauty and the Beast – $3,276,760 ($103,446,010 total) {week 12}
- Hook – $3,231,360 ($107,260,204 total) {week 8}
- JFK – $3,185,727 ($54,682,068 total) {week 7}
- The Prince of Tides – $3,024,206 ($56,480,546 total) {week 6}
- Bugsy – $1,265,595 ($38,529,049 total) {week 8}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- Fried Green Tomatoes – $13,142,410 ($33,106,846 total)
- Grand Canyon – $7,142,923 ($40,425,701 total)
- Beauty and the Beast – $6,450,875 ($203,651,543 total)
- Hook – $6,361,497 ($211,160,450 total)
- JFK – $6,271,660 ($107,651,204 total)
- The Prince of Tides – $5,953,678 ($111,191,822 total)
- Bugsy – $2,491,545 ($75,851,164 total)
Oscar Details:
- Beauty and the Beast: Picture, Original Song (“Be Our Guest”, “Beauty and the Beast” [O], “Belle”), Original Score [O], Sound
- Bugsy: Picture, Directing, Actor (Warren Beatty), Supporting Actor (Harvey Keitel, Ben Kingsley), Original Screenplay, Original Score, Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O]
- Fried Green Tomatoes: Supporting Actress (Jessica Tandy), Adapted Screenplay
- Grand Canyon: Original Screenplay
- Hook: Original Song (“When You’re Alone”), Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup, Visual Effects
- JFK: Picture, Directing, Supporting Actor (Tommy Lee Jones), Adapted Screnplay, Original Score, Film Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Sound
- The Prince of Tides: Picture, Actor (Nick Nolte), Supporting Actress (Kate Nelligan), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, Cinematography, Art Direction
30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 1987
Weekend Box Office:
- Platoon – $8,352,394 ($26,560,509 total) {week 7}
- Crocodile Dundee – $2,812,319 ($139,790,205 total) {week 19}
- Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home – $2,266,912 ($99,515,943 total) {week 11}
- Little Shop of Horrors – $1,719,329 ($33,126,503 total) {week 7}
- Radio Days – $1,522,423 ($1,522,423 total) {week 1}
- Crimes of the Heart – $1,034,570 ($19,313,253 total) {week 8}
- The Mission – $993,424 ($9,686,424 total) {week 9}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- Platoon – $17,452,445 ($55,498,557 total)
- Crocodile Dundee – $5,876,380 ($292,093,600 total)
- Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home – $4,736,745 ($207,939,963 total)
- Little Shop of Horrors – $3,592,562 ($69,218,294 total)
- Radio Days – $3,181,124 ($3,181,124 total)
- Crimes of the Heart – $2,161,749 ($40,355,314 total)
- The Mission – $2,075,773 ($20,239,919 total)
Oscar Details:
- Crimes of the Heart: Actress (Sissy Spacek), Supporting Actress (Tess Harper), Adapted Screenplay
- Crocodile Dundee: Original Screenplay
- Little Shop of Horrors: Original Song (“Mean Green Mother from Outer Space”), Visual Effects
- The Mission: Picture, Director, Original Score, Editing, Cinematography [O], Art Direction, Costume Design
- Platoon: Picture [O], Director [O], Supporting Actor (Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe), Original Screenplay, Editing [O], Cinematography, Sound [O]
- Radio Days: Original Screenplay, Art Direction
- Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home: Original Score, Cinematography, Sound, Sound Effects
35 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jan. 29-31, 1982
Weekend Box Office:
- On Golden Pond – $5,008,290 ($12,142,484 total) {week 9}
- Absence of Malice – $2,166,098 ($30,331,624 total) {week 10}
- Raiders of the Lost Ark – $1,520,273 ($185,748,792 total) {week 6}
- Reds – $1,147,395 ($26,950,104 total) {week 8}
- Ragtime – $702,905 ($14,751,152 total) {week 10}
- Chariots of Fire – $476,605 ($5,803,579 total) {week 7}
- Arthur – $350,039 ($81,814,525 total) {week 5}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- On Golden Pond – $13,917,595 ($33,742,889 total)
- Absence of Malice – $6,019,395 ($84,288,901 total)
- Raiders of the Lost Ark – $4,224,704 ($516,179,466 total)
- Reds – $3,188,509 ($74,891,956 total)
- Ragtime – $1,953,311 ($40,992,147 total)
- Chariots of Fire – $1,324,443 ($16,127,633 total)
- Arthur – $972,727 ($227,355,330 total)
Oscar Details:
- Absence of Malice: Actor (Paul Newman), Supporting Actress (Melinda Dillon), Original Screenplay
- Arthur: Actor (Dudley Moore), Supporting Actor (John Gielgud) [O], Original Screenplay, Original Song (“Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)”) [O]
- Chariots of Fire: Picture [O], Director, Supporting Actor (Ian Holm), Original Screenplay [O], Original Score [O], Editing, Costume Design [O]
- On Golden Pond: Picture, Director, Actor (Henry Fonda) [O], Actress (Katharine Hepburn) [O], Supporting Actress (Jane Fonda), Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing, Cinematography, Sound
- Ragtime: Supporting Actor (Howard E Rollins Jr), Supporting Actress (Elizabeth McGovern), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, Original Song (“One More Hour”), Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design
- Raiders of the Lost Ark: Picture, Director, Original Score, Editing [O], Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Sound [O], Sound Effects [O], Visual Effects [O]
- Reds: Picture, Director [O], Actor (Warren Beatty), Actress (Diane Keaton), Supporting Actor (Jack Nicholson), Supporting Actress (Maureen Stapleton) [O], Original Screenplay, Editing, Cinematography [O], Art Direction, Costume Design, Sound
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