Looking at Film from Every Angle

Box Office History (Week 21, 2026)

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Wesley Lovell

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Every week, we’ll take a look back at how Oscar-nominated films performed at the box office. Due to the lack of data prior to 1980, some of these early years may have minimal information. From the mid-1990s back to 1980, the data exists, but is sometimes spotty. Everything after that should be accurate. We’ll look back at 5 years ago and then go back further in 5-year increments. We also include an inflation adjustment so you can see how ticket prices have changed and how films released today compare to those of yesteryear. Sometimes, it takes a few months for the prior year’s average ticket price to be formally set, so these numbers may vary until that point. The first section under each year is the positioning of all Oscar nominees during that weekend at the box office followed by 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.

Every week, we’ll take a look back at how Oscar-nominated films performed at the box office. Due to the lack of data prior to 1980, some of these early years may have minimal information. From the mid-1990s back to 1980, the data exists, but is sometimes spotty. Everything after that should be accurate. We’ll look back at 5 years ago and then go back further in 5-year increments. We also include an inflation adjustment so you can see how ticket prices have changed and how films released today compare to those of yesteryear. Sometimes, it takes a few months for the prior year’s average ticket price to be formally set, so these numbers may vary until that point. The first section under each year is the positioning of all Oscar nominees during that weekend at the box office followed by 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.

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 21-23, 2021

Weekend Box Office:

  1. Raya and the Last Dragon – $1,666,739 ($48,306,284 total) {week 12}
  2. Four Good Days – $30,132 ($827,860 total) {week 4}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

  1. Raya and the Last Dragon – $1,853,571 ($53,721,148 total)
  2. Four Good Days – $33,510 ($920,658 total)

Oscar Details:

  • Four Good Days: Original Song (“Somehow You Do”)
  • Raya and the Last Dragon: Animated Feature

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 20-22, 2016

Weekend Box Office:

  1. The Jungle Book (2016, 89th) – $10,944,350 ($327,424,915 total) {week 6}
  2. Zootopia (2016, 89th) – $1,683,982 ($334,384,510 total) {week 12}
  3. The Lobster (2016, 89th) – $397,622 ($1,083,551 total) {week 8}
  4. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015, 88th) – $87,340 ($936,627,416 total) {week 22}
  5. Brooklyn (2015, 88th) – $7,255 ($38,317,535 total) {week 29}
  6. The Revenant (2015, 88th) – $4,684 ($183,635,922 total) {week 22}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

  1. The Jungle Book (2016, 89th) – $14,309,896 ($428,112,808 total)
  2. Zootopia (2016, 89th) – $2,201,831 ($437,212,579 total)
  3. The Lobster (2016, 89th) – $519,897 ($1,416,759 total)
  4. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015, 88th) – $114,198 ($1,224,653,881 total)
  5. Brooklyn (2015, 88th) – $9,486 ($50,100,731 total)
  6. The Revenant (2015, 88th) – $6,124 ($240,106,622 total)

Oscar Details:

  • Brooklyn (2015, 88th): Picture, Actress (Saoirse Ronan), Adapted Screenplay
  • The Jungle Book (2016, 89th): Visual Effects [O]
  • The Lobster (2016, 89th): Original Screenplay
  • The Revenant (2015, 88th): Picture, Directing [O], Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio) [O], Supporting Actor (Tom Hardy), Film Editing, Cinematography [O], Production Design, Costume Design, Makeup & Hairstyling, Sound Mixing, Sound Film Editing, Visual Effects
  • Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015, 88th): Original Score, Film Editing, Sound Mixing, Sound Film Editing, Visual Effects
  • Zootopia (2016, 89th): Animated Feature [O]

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 27-29, 2011

Weekend Box Office:

  1. Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011, 84th) – $47,656,302 ($53,460,431 total) {week 1}
  2. Bridesmaids (2011, 84th) – $16,551,355 ($85,157,910 total) {week 3}
  3. Midnight in Paris (2011, 84th) – $1,929,562 ($2,834,546 total) {week 2}
  4. Rio (2011, 84th) – $1,804,883 ($134,846,157 total) {week 7}
  5. The Tree of Life (2011, 84th) – $372,920 ($372,920 total) {week 1}
  6. Rango (2011, 84th) – $359,511 ($121,715,382 total) {week 13}
  7. Incendies (2010, 83rd) – $199,060 ($888,568 total) {week 6}
  8. Jane Eyre (2011, 84th) – $160,360 ($10,656,311 total) {week 12}
  9. Tangled (2010, 83rd) – $131,938 ($200,803,309 total) {week 27}
  10. In a Better World (2010, 83rd) – $37,708 ($749,325 total) {week 9}
  11. Barney’s Version (2010, 83rd) – $6,544 ($4,422,090 total) {week 20}
  12. Biutiful (2010, 83rd) – $932 ($5,098,562 total) {week 18}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

  1. Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011, 84th) – $67,968,824 ($76,246,844 total)
  2. Bridesmaids (2011, 84th) – $23,606,031 ($121,454,724 total)
  3. Midnight in Paris (2011, 84th) – $2,751,998 ($4,042,713 total)
  4. Rio (2011, 84th) – $2,574,177 ($192,321,568 total)
  5. The Tree of Life (2011, 84th) – $531,870 ($531,870 total)
  6. Rango (2011, 84th) – $512,745 ($173,594,069 total)
  7. Incendies (2010, 83rd) – $283,905 ($1,267,302 total)
  8. Jane Eyre (2011, 84th) – $228,710 ($15,198,345 total)
  9. Tangled (2010, 83rd) – $188,174 ($286,391,605 total)
  10. In a Better World (2010, 83rd) – $53,780 ($1,068,709 total)
  11. Barney’s Version (2010, 83rd) – $9,333 ($6,306,915 total)
  12. Biutiful (2010, 83rd) – $1,329 ($7,271,720 total)

Oscar Details:

  • Barney’s Version (2010, 83rd): Makeup
  • Biutiful (2010, 83rd): Actor (Javier Bardem), Foreign Language Film
  • Bridesmaids (2011, 84th): Supporting Actress (Melissa McCarthy), Original Screenplay
  • In a Better World (2010, 83rd): Foreign Language Film [O]
  • Incendies (2010, 83rd): Foreign Language Film
  • Jane Eyre (2011, 84th): Costume Design
  • Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011, 84th): Animated Feature
  • Midnight in Paris (2011, 84th): Picture, Directing, Original Screenplay [O], Art Direction
  • Rango (2011, 84th): Animated Feature [O]
  • Rio (2011, 84th): Original Song (“Real in Rio”)
  • Tangled (2010, 83rd): Original Song (“I See the Light”)
  • The Tree of Life (2011, 84th): Picture, Directing, Cinematography

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 26-28, 2006

Weekend Box Office:

  1. Poseidon (2006, 79th) – $5,650,026 ($45,292,763 total) {week 3}
  2. United 93 (2006, 79th) – $808,545 ($29,632,960 total) {week 5}
  3. Water (2006, 79th) – $306,517 ($1,378,596 total) {week 5}
  4. An Inconvenient Truth (2006, 79th) – $281,330 ($404,879 total) {week 1}
  5. Sophie Scholl (2005, 78th) – $15,446 ($595,898 total) {week 15}
  6. Tsotsi (2005, 78th) – $11,178 ($2,866,194 total) {week 14}
  7. Joyeux Noel (2005, 78th) – $6,855 ($1,013,501 total) {week 24}
  8. Transamerica (2005, 78th) – $4,959 ($9,012,033 total) {week 26}
  9. Mrs. Henderson Presents (2005, 78th) – $3,722 ($11,032,916 total) {week 25}
  10. The 2005 Academy Award Nominated Short Films (2005, 78th) – $1,269 ($155,555 total) {week 14}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

  1. Poseidon (2006, 79th) – $9,755,999 ($78,207,809 total)
  2. United 93 (2006, 79th) – $1,396,129 ($51,167,752 total)
  3. Water (2006, 79th) – $529,268 ($2,380,446 total)
  4. An Inconvenient Truth (2006, 79th) – $485,777 ($699,112 total)
  5. Sophie Scholl (2005, 78th) – $26,671 ($1,028,948 total)
  6. Tsotsi (2005, 78th) – $19,301 ($4,949,108 total)
  7. Joyeux Noel (2005, 78th) – $11,837 ($1,750,030 total)
  8. Transamerica (2005, 78th) – $8,563 ($15,561,236 total)
  9. Mrs. Henderson Presents (2005, 78th) – $6,427 ($19,050,730 total)
  10. The 2005 Academy Award Nominated Short Films (2005, 78th) – $2,191 ($268,600 total)

Oscar Details:

  • The 2005 Academy Award Nominated Short Films (2005, 78th): Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, Documentary Short Film
  • An Inconvenient Truth (2006, 79th): Original Song (“I Need to Wake Up” [O]), Documentary Feature [O]
  • Joyeux Noel (2005, 78th): Foreign Language Film
  • Mrs. Henderson Presents (2005, 78th): Actress (Judi Dench), Costume Design
  • Poseidon (2006, 79th): Visual Effects
  • Sophie Scholl (2005, 78th): Foreign Language Film
  • Transamerica (2005, 78th): Actress (Felicity Huffman), Original Song (“Travelin’ Thru”)
  • Tsotsi (2005, 78th): Foreign Language Film [O]
  • United 93 (2006, 79th): Directing, Film Editing
  • Water (2006, 79th): Foreign Language Film

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 25-27, 2001

Weekend Box Office:

  1. Pearl Harbor (2001, 74th) – $59,078,912 ($59,078,912 total) {week 1}
  2. Shrek (2001, 74th) – $42,481,425 ($99,019,205 total) {week 2}
  3. Bridget Jones’ Diary (2001, 74th) – $3,349,459 ($61,543,789 total) {week 7}
  4. Memento (2001, 74th) – $1,565,255 ($14,129,905 total) {week 11}
  5. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000, 73rd) – $382,111 ($126,047,135 total) {week 25}
  6. Traffic (2000, 73rd) – $369,086 ($123,616,998 total) {week 22}
  7. Moulin Rouge! (2001, 74th) – $193,098 ($510,650 total) {week 2}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

  1. Pearl Harbor (2001, 74th) – $118,053,444 ($118,053,444 total)
  2. Shrek (2001, 74th) – $84,887,794 ($197,863,464 total)
  3. Bridget Jones’ Diary (2001, 74th) – $6,693,000 ($122,978,843 total)
  4. Memento (2001, 74th) – $3,127,745 ($28,234,846 total)
  5. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000, 73rd) – $763,547 ($251,871,572 total)
  6. Traffic (2000, 73rd) – $737,520 ($247,015,591 total)
  7. Moulin Rouge! (2001, 74th) – $385,855 ($1,020,398 total)

Oscar Details:

  • Bridget Jones’ Diary (2001, 74th): Actress (Renee Zellweger)
  • Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000, 73rd): Picture, Directing, Adapted Screenplay, Original Song (“A Love Before Time”), Original Score [O], Film Editing, Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Costume Design, Foreign Language Film [O]
  • Memento (2001, 74th): Original Screenplay, Film Editing
  • Moulin Rouge! (2001, 74th): Picture, Actress (Nicole Kidman), Film Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Makeup, Sound
  • Pearl Harbor (2001, 74th): Original Song (“There You’ll Be”), Sound, Sound Film Editing [O], Visual Effects
  • Shrek (2001, 74th): Animated Feature [O], Adapted Screenplay
  • Traffic (2000, 73rd): Picture, Directing [O], Supporting Actor (Benicio Del Toro) [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Film Editing [O]

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 24-26, 1996

Weekend Box Office:

  1. Twister (1996, 69th) – $29,645,430 ($136,647,882 total) {week 3}
  2. Toy Story (1995, 68th) – $1,311,861 ($186,182,078 total) {week 27}
  3. Primal Fear (1996, 69th) – $1,429,961 ($53,020,214 total) {week 8}
  4. The Birdcage (1996, 69th) – $1,263,789 ($118,764,272 total) {week 12}
  5. James and the Giant Peach (1996, 69th) – $783,869 ($26,776,358 total) {week 7}
  6. Braveheart (1995, 68th) – $1,468 ($75,608,214 total) {week 53}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

  1. Twister (1996, 69th) – $75,857,424 ($349,657,816 total)
  2. Toy Story (1995, 68th) – $3,356,821 ($476,407,082 total)
  3. Primal Fear (1996, 69th) – $3,659,018 ($135,669,371 total)
  4. The Birdcage (1996, 69th) – $3,233,813 ($303,896,814 total)
  5. James and the Giant Peach (1996, 69th) – $2,005,782 ($68,515,975 total)
  6. Braveheart (1995, 68th) – $3,756 ($193,468,077 total)

Oscar Details:

  • The Birdcage (1996, 69th): Art Direction
  • Braveheart (1995, 68th): Picture [O], Directing [O], Original Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score, Film Editing, Cinematography [O], Costume Design, Makeup [O], Sound, Sound Effects Film Editing [O]
  • James and the Giant Peach (1996, 69th): Original Musical or Comedy Score
  • Primal Fear (1996, 69th): Supporting Actor (Edward Norton)
  • Toy Story (1995, 68th): Original Screenplay, Original Song (“You’ve Got a Friend in Me”), Original Musical or Comedy Score
  • Twister (1996, 69th): Sound, Visual Effects

35 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 24-26, 1991

Weekend Box Office:

  1. Backdraft (1991, 64th) – $12,686,200 ($12,686,200 total) {week 1}
  2. Thelma & Louise (1991, 64th) – $6,101,297 ($6,101,297 total) {week 1}
  3. Home Alone (1990, 63rd) – $1,942,192 ($271,986,320 total) {week 28}
  4. The Silence of the Lambs (1991, 64th) – $1,292,143 ($119,828,381 total) {week 15}
  5. Dances With Wolves (1990, 63rd) – $1,209,017 ($171,221,399 total) {week 29}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

  1. Backdraft (1991, 64th) – $34,080,979 ($34,080,979 total)
  2. Thelma & Louise (1991, 64th) – $16,390,895 ($16,390,895 total)
  3. Home Alone (1990, 63rd) – $5,217,623 ($730,680,589 total)
  4. The Silence of the Lambs (1991, 64th) – $3,471,292 ($321,914,249 total)
  5. Dances With Wolves (1990, 63rd) – $3,247,977 ($459,979,578 total)

Oscar Details:

  • Backdraft (1991, 64th): Sound, Sound Effects Film Editing, Visual Effects
  • Dances With Wolves (1990, 63rd): Picture [O], Directing [O], Actor (Kevin Costner), Supporting Actor (Graham Greene), Supporting Actress (Mary McDonnell), Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score [O], Film Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Art Direction, Costume Design, Sound [O]
  • Home Alone (1990, 63rd): Original Song (“Somewhere in My Memory”), Original Score
  • The Silence of the Lambs (1991, 64th): Picture [O], Directing [O], Actor (Anthony Hopkins) [O], Actress (Jodie Foster) [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Film Editing, Sound
  • Thelma & Louise (1991, 64th): Directing, Actor (Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon), Original Screenplay [O], Film Editing, Cinematography

40 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 23-25, 1986

Weekend Box Office:

  1. Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986, 59th) – $12,357,190 ($12,357,190 total) {week 1}
  2. Top Gun (1986, 59th) – $9,449,432 ($21,666,458 total) {week 2}
  3. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986, 59th) – $594,156 ($32,266,671 total) {week 16}
  4. The Color Purple (1985, 58th) – $439,528 ($94,175,854 total) {week 23}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

  1. Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986, 59th) – $37,671,110 ($37,671,110 total)
  2. Top Gun (1986, 59th) – $28,806,759 ($66,050,577 total)
  3. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986, 59th) – $1,811,295 ($98,365,512 total)
  4. The Color Purple (1985, 58th) – $1,339,909 ($287,096,741 total)

Oscar Details:

  • The Color Purple (1985, 58th): Picture, Actress (Whoopi Goldberg), Supporting Actress (Margaret Avery, Oprah Winfrey), Adapted Screenplay, Original Song (“Miss Celie’s Blues (Sister)”)
  • Hannah and Her Sisters (1986, 59th): Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Michael Caine) [O], Supporting Actress (Dianne Wiest) [O], Original Screenplay [O], Film Editing, Art Direction
  • Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986, 59th): Visual Effects
  • Top Gun (1986, 59th): Original Song (“Take My Breath Away” [O]), Film Editing, Sound, Sound Effects

45 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 22-24, 1981

Weekend Box Office:

  1. Outland (1981, 54th) – $3,059,638 ($3,059,638 total) {week 1}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

  1. Outland (1981, 54th) – $12,447,664 ($12,447,664 total)

Oscar Details:

  • Outland (1981, 54th): Sound

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