Box Office History (Week 35, 2026)

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 Aug. 27-29, 2021

Weekend Box Office:

Free Guy – $13,162,906 ($78,918,086 total) {week 3}
Cruella – $57,685 ($86,027,011 total) {week 14}
Summer of Soul – $5,032 ($2,316,090 total) {week 9}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Free Guy – $15,207,881 ($91,178,713 total)
Cruella – $66,647 ($99,392,073 total)
Summer of Soul – $5,814 ($2,675,915 total)

Oscar Details:

Cruella: Costume Design [O], Makeup & Hairstyling
Free Guy: Visual Effects
Summer of Soul: Documentary Feature

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 26-28, 2016

Weekend Box Office:

Suicide Squad (2016, 89th) – $12,248,439 ($283,021,066 total) {week 4}
Kubo and the Two Strings (2016, 89th) – $7,844,822 ($24,856,200 total) {week 2}
Hell or High Water (2016, 89th) – $3,551,931 ($8,391,030 total) {week 3}
Florence Foster Jenkins (2016, 89th) – $2,967,526 ($19,820,821 total) {week 3}
Star Trek: Beyond (2016, 89th) – $2,261,531 ($150,891,580 total) {week 6}
The Jungle Book (2016, 89th) – $284,256 ($363,558,305 total) {week 20}
Captain Fantastic (2016, 89th) – $206,957 ($5,041,834 total) {week 8}
The Lobster (2016, 89th) – $4,511 ($9,195,318 total) {week 22}
Life, Animated (2016, 89th) – $3,731 ($224,269 total) {week 9}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Suicide Squad (2016, 89th) – $16,638,053 ($384,450,581 total)
Kubo and the Two Strings (2016, 89th) – $10,656,261 ($33,764,202 total)
Hell or High Water (2016, 89th) – $4,824,877 ($11,398,220 total)
Florence Foster Jenkins (2016, 89th) – $4,031,032 ($26,924,237 total)
Star Trek: Beyond (2016, 89th) – $3,072,022 ($204,968,331 total)
The Jungle Book (2016, 89th) – $386,128 ($493,850,877 total)
Captain Fantastic (2016, 89th) – $281,127 ($6,848,734 total)
The Lobster (2016, 89th) – $6,128 ($12,490,750 total)
Life, Animated (2016, 89th) – $5,068 ($304,643 total)

Oscar Details:

Captain Fantastic (2016, 89th): Actor (Viggo Mortensen)
Florence Foster Jenkins (2016, 89th): Actress (Meryl Streep), Costume Design
Hell or High Water (2016, 89th): Picture, Supporting Actor (Jeff Bridges), Original Screenplay [O], Film Editing
The Jungle Book (2016, 89th): Visual Effects [O]
Kubo and the Two Strings (2016, 89th): Animated Feature, Visual Effects
Life, Animated (2016, 89th): Documentary Feature
The Lobster (2016, 89th): Original Screenplay
Star Trek: Beyond (2016, 89th): Makeup & Hairstyling
Suicide Squad (2016, 89th): Makeup & Hairstyling [O]

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Sep. 2-4, 2011

Weekend Box Office:

The Help (2011, 84th) – $14,594,623 ($118,985,176 total) {week 4}
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011, 84th) – $7,915,295 ($160,139,988 total) {week 5}
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 (2011, 84th) – $2,472,601 ($374,623,584 total) {week 8}
Midnight in Paris (2011, 84th) – $670,125 ($52,716,774 total) {week 16}
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011, 84th) – $588,481 ($350,348,225 total) {week 10}
Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011, 84th) – $334,190 ($164,694,859 total) {week 15}
Bridesmaids (2011, 84th) – $277,195 ($168,452,530 total) {week 17}
The Tree of Life (2011, 84th) – $79,571 ($12,988,672 total) {week 15}
Beginners (2011, 84th) – $35,811 ($5,764,842 total) {week 14}
Rio (2011, 84th) – $11,049 ($143,613,651 total) {week 21}
Incendies (2010, 83rd) – $9,983 ($2,053,661 total) {week 20}
In a Better World (2010, 83rd) – $520 ($1,007,808 total) {week 23}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

The Help (2011, 84th) – $21,625,072 ($176,302,121 total)
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011, 84th) – $11,728,211 ($237,281,823 total)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 (2011, 84th) – $3,663,690 ($555,085,386 total)
Midnight in Paris (2011, 84th) – $992,934 ($78,111,235 total)
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011, 84th) – $871,961 ($519,116,222 total)
Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011, 84th) – $495,174 ($244,030,844 total)
Bridesmaids (2011, 84th) – $410,724 ($249,598,642 total)
The Tree of Life (2011, 84th) – $117,902 ($19,245,510 total)
Beginners (2011, 84th) – $53,062 ($8,541,853 total)
Rio (2011, 84th) – $16,371 ($212,794,502 total)
Incendies (2010, 83rd) – $14,792 ($3,042,940 total)
In a Better World (2010, 83rd) – $770 ($1,493,284 total)

Oscar Details:

Beginners (2011, 84th): Supporting Actor (Christopher Plummer) [O]
Bridesmaids (2011, 84th): Supporting Actress (Melissa McCarthy), Original Screenplay
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 (2011, 84th): Art Direction, Makeup, Visual Effects
The Help (2011, 84th): Picture, Actress (Viola Davis), Supporting Actress (Jessica Chastain, Octavia Spencer [O])
In a Better World (2010, 83rd): Foreign Language Film [O]
Incendies (2010, 83rd): Foreign Language Film
Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011, 84th): Animated Feature
Midnight in Paris (2011, 84th): Picture, Directing, Original Screenplay [O], Art Direction
Rio (2011, 84th): Original Song (“Real in Rio”)
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011, 84th): Visual Effects
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011, 84th): Sound Mixing, Sound Film Editing, Visual Effects
The Tree of Life (2011, 84th): Picture, Directing, Cinematography

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Sep. 1-3, 2006

Weekend Box Office:

Little Miss Sunshine (2006, 79th) – $7,621,579 ($33,729,554 total) {week 6}
The Illusionist (2006, 79th) – $6,189,133 ($10,248,815 total) {week 3}
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006, 79th) – $3,785,298 ($412,883,344 total) {week 9}
Superman Returns (2006, 79th) – $874,141 ($196,576,057 total) {week 10}
Cars (2006, 79th) – $849,014 ($241,743,295 total) {week 13}
Monster House (2006, 79th) – $795,546 ($70,577,979 total) {week 7}
The Devil Wears Prada (2006, 79th) – $787,789 ($121,836,154 total) {week 10}
Click (2006, 79th) – $353,658 ($136,414,248 total) {week 11}
Half Nelson (2006, 79th) – $233,863 ($724,640 total) {week 4}
An Inconvenient Truth (2006, 79th) – $221,624 ($23,107,416 total) {week 15}
My Country, My Country (2006, 79th) – $2,802 ($14,792 total) {week 5}
Water (2006, 79th) – $1,748 ($3,222,292 total) {week 19}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Little Miss Sunshine (2006, 79th) – $13,672,298 ($60,507,215 total)
The Illusionist (2006, 79th) – $11,102,643 ($18,385,279 total)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006, 79th) – $6,790,420 ($740,668,594 total)
Superman Returns (2006, 79th) – $1,568,116 ($352,636,438 total)
Cars (2006, 79th) – $1,523,040 ($433,661,636 total)
Monster House (2006, 79th) – $1,427,125 ($126,609,352 total)
The Devil Wears Prada (2006, 79th) – $1,413,209 ($218,561,040 total)
Click (2006, 79th) – $634,425 ($244,712,582 total)
Half Nelson (2006, 79th) – $419,525 ($1,299,927 total)
An Inconvenient Truth (2006, 79th) – $397,570 ($41,452,235 total)
My Country, My Country (2006, 79th) – $5,026 ($26,535 total)
Water (2006, 79th) – $3,136 ($5,780,447 total)

Oscar Details:

Cars (2006, 79th): Animated Feature, Original Song (“Our Town”)
Click (2006, 79th): Makeup
The Devil Wears Prada (2006, 79th): Actress (Meryl Streep), Costume Design
Half Nelson (2006, 79th): Actor (Ryan Gosling)
The Illusionist (2006, 79th): Cinematography
An Inconvenient Truth (2006, 79th): Original Song (“I Need to Wake Up” [O]), Documentary Feature [O]
Little Miss Sunshine (2006, 79th): Picture, Supporting Actor (Alan Arkin [O]), Supporting Actress (Abigail Breslin), Original Screenplay [O]
Monster House (2006, 79th): Animated Feature
My Country, My Country (2006, 79th): Documentary Feature
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006, 79th): Art Direction, Sound Mixing, Sound Film Editing, Visual Effects [O]
Superman Returns (2006, 79th): Visual Effects
Water (2006, 79th): Foreign Language Film

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 31-Sep. 2, 2001

Weekend Box Office:

Pearl Harbor (2001, 74th) – $1,164,650 ($196,656,492 total) {week 15}
Shrek (2001, 74th) – $786,284 ($262,536,751 total) {week 16}
Ghost World (2001, 74th) – $571,340 ($3,233,127 total) {week 7}
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001, 74th) – $215,798 ($78,109,787 total) {week 10}
Memento (2001, 74th) – $136,696 ($25,245,302 total) {week 25}
Sexy Beast (2001, 74th) – $103,741 ($6,508,145 total) {week 12}
Moulin Rouge! (2001, 74th) – $176,696 ($56,038,809 total) {week 16}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Pearl Harbor (2001, 74th) – $2,417,780 ($408,253,318 total)
Shrek (2001, 74th) – $1,632,303 ($545,018,874 total)
Ghost World (2001, 74th) – $1,186,086 ($6,711,880 total)
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001, 74th) – $447,991 ($162,153,710 total)
Memento (2001, 74th) – $283,777 ($52,408,533 total)
Sexy Beast (2001, 74th) – $215,363 ($13,510,725 total)
Moulin Rouge! (2001, 74th) – $366,816 ($116,334,983 total)

Oscar Details:

A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001, 74th): Original Score, Visual Effects
Ghost World (2001, 74th): Adapted Screenplay
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
Sexy Beast (2001, 74th): Supporting Actor (Ben Kingsley)
Shrek (2001, 74th): Animated Feature [O], Adapted Screenplay

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 30-Sep. 1, 1996

Weekend Box Office:

Independence Day (1996, 69th) – $4,366,934 ($280,766,972 total) {week 9}
Emma (1996, 69th) – $3,055,198 ($13,465,360 total) {week 5}
Eraser (1996, 69th) – $1,223,893 ($99,013,389 total) {week 11}
The Rock (1996, 69th) – $822,924 ($130,411,050 total) {week 13}
Trainspotting (1996, 69th) – $967,083 ($10,915,981 total) {week 7}
Toy Story (1995, 68th) – $23,937 ($191,773,049 total) {week 41}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Independence Day (1996, 69th) – $11,608,931 ($746,382,788 total)
Emma (1996, 69th) – $8,121,850 ($35,795,923 total)
Eraser (1996, 69th) – $3,253,562 ($263,214,326 total)
The Rock (1996, 69th) – $2,187,637 ($346,680,959 total)
Trainspotting (1996, 69th) – $2,570,865 ($29,018,728 total)
Toy Story (1995, 68th) – $63,633 ($509,803,920 total)

Oscar Details:

Emma (1996, 69th): Original Musical or Comedy Score [O], Costume Design
Eraser (1996, 69th): Sound Effects Film Editing
Independence Day (1996, 69th): Sound, Visual Effects [O]
The Rock (1996, 69th): Sound
Toy Story (1995, 68th): Original Screenplay, Original Song (“You’ve Got a Friend in Me”), Original Musical or Comedy Score
Trainspotting (1996, 69th): Adapted Screenplay

35 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 30-Sep. 1, 1991

Weekend Box Office:

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991, 64th) – $4,460,683 ($182,182,182 total) {week 9}
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991, 64th) – $3,158,525 ($150,477,022 total) {week 12}
City Slickers (1991, 64th) – $1,980,732 ($112,657,884 total) {week 13}
Boyz N the Hood (1991, 64th) – $1,789,749 ($49,374,487 total) {week 8}
The Commitments (1991, 64th) – $1,366,223 ($2,305,459 total) {week 3}
Barton Fink (1991, 64th) – $315,914 ($857,149 total) {week 2}
The Silence of the Lambs (1991, 64th) – $116,143 ($130,157,016 total) {week 29}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991, 64th) – $12,449,650 ($508,465,710 total)
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991, 64th) – $8,815,361 ($419,977,437 total)
City Slickers (1991, 64th) – $5,528,171 ($314,425,211 total)
Boyz N the Hood (1991, 64th) – $4,995,143 ($137,802,903 total)
The Commitments (1991, 64th) – $3,813,093 ($6,434,476 total)
Barton Fink (1991, 64th) – $881,708 ($2,392,280 total)
The Silence of the Lambs (1991, 64th) – $324,152 ($363,264,831 total)

Oscar Details:

Barton Fink (1991, 64th): Supporting Actor (Michael Lerner), Art Direction, Costume Design
Boyz N the Hood (1991, 64th): Directing, Original Screenplay
City Slickers (1991, 64th): Supporting Actor (Jack Palance) [O]
The Commitments (1991, 64th): Film Editing
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991, 64th): Original Song (“(Everything I Do) I Do It for You”)
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
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991, 64th): Film Editing, Cinematography, Makeup [O], Sound [O], Sound Effects [O], Visual Effects [O]

40 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 29-31, 1986

Weekend Box Office:

Stand By Me (1986, 59th) – $5,037,343 ($11,932,227 total) {week 4}
Top Gun (1986, 59th) – $5,024,325 ($131,345,236 total) {week 16}
The Fly (1986, 59th) – $4,198,506 ($22,279,867 total) {week 3}
The Karate Kid Part II (1986, 59th) – $3,776,755 ($98,948,459 total) {week 11}
Aliens (1986, 59th) – $3,586,256 ($66,354,475 total) {week 7}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Stand By Me (1986, 59th) – $15,953,849 ($37,790,746 total)
Top Gun (1986, 59th) – $15,912,620 ($415,985,586 total)
The Fly (1986, 59th) – $13,297,155 ($70,562,921 total)
The Karate Kid Part II (1986, 59th) – $11,961,421 ($313,381,238 total)
Aliens (1986, 59th) – $11,358,088 ($210,152,313 total)

Oscar Details:

Aliens (1986, 59th): Actress (Sigourney Weaver), Original Score, Film Editing, Art Direction, Sound, Sound Effects Film Editing [O], Visual Effects [O]
The Fly (1986, 59th): Makeup [O]
The Karate Kid Part II (1986, 59th): Original Song (“Glory of Love”)
Stand By Me (1986, 59th): Adapted Screenplay
Top Gun (1986, 59th): Original Song (“Take My Breath Away” [O]), Film Editing, Sound, Sound Effects

45 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 28-30, 1981

Weekend Box Office:

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981, 54th) – $3,909,879 ($117,371,084 total) {week 12}
Arthur (1981, 54th) – $3,214,004 ($31,973,249 total) {week 7}
Endless Love (1981, 54th) – $531,827 ($22,190,208 total) {week 7}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981, 54th) – $16,525,568 ($496,082,819 total)
Arthur (1981, 54th) – $13,584,369 ($135,138,732 total)
Endless Love (1981, 54th) – $2,247,830 ($93,789,548 total)

Oscar Details:

Arthur (1981, 54th): Actor (Dudley Moore), Supporting Actor (John Gielgud) [O], Original Screenplay, Original Song (“Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)”) [O]
Endless Love (1981, 54th): Original Song (“Endless Love”)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981, 54th): Picture, Director, Original Score, Film Editing [O], Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Sound [O], Visual Effects [O], Special Achievement Award (Sound Effects Film Editing) [O]