Box Office History (Week 44, 2023)

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 Nov. 2-4, 2018

Weekend Box Office:

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018, 91st) – $51,061,119 ($51,061,119 total) {week 1}
A Star Is Born (2018, 91st) – $11,003,083 ($165,537,649 total) {week 5}
First Man (2018, 91st) – $2,184,385 ($41,974,255 total) {week 4}
Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018, 91st) – $1,032,318 ($1,752,458 total) {week 3}
Free Solo (2018, 91st) – $1,009,425 ($6,893,376 total) {week 6}
Incredibles 2 (2018, 91st) – $168,949 ($608,109,517 total) {week 21}
Christopher Robin (2018, 91st) – $139,933 ($99,010,982 total) {week 14}
Border (2018, 91st) – $54,295 ($163,056 total) {week 2}
The Wife (2018, 91st) – $40,441 ($7,691,644 total) {week 11}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018, 91st) – $58,571,756 ($58,571,756 total)
A Star Is Born (2018, 91st) – $12,621,539 ($189,886,765 total)
First Man (2018, 91st) – $2,505,689 ($48,148,295 total)
Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018, 91st) – $1,184,163 ($2,010,229 total)
Free Solo (2018, 91st) – $1,157,902 ($7,907,330 total)
Incredibles 2 (2018, 91st) – $193,800 ($697,557,020 total)
Christopher Robin (2018, 91st) – $160,516 ($113,574,617 total)
Border (2018, 91st) – $62,281 ($187,040 total)
The Wife (2018, 91st) – $46,390 ($8,823,016 total)

Oscar Details:

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018, 91st): Picture, Actor (Rami Malek), Film Editing [O], Sound Mixing [O], Sound Film Editing [O]
Border (2018, 91st): Makeup & Hairstyling
Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018, 91st): Actress (Melissa McCarthy), Supporting Actor (Richard E. Grant), Adapted Screenplay
Christopher Robin (2018, 91st): Visual Effects
First Man (2018, 91st): Production Design, Sound Mixing, Sound Film Editing, Visual Effects
Free Solo (2018, 91st): Documentary Feature [O]
Incredibles 2 (2018, 91st): Animated Feature
A Star Is Born (2018, 91st): Picture, Actor (Bradley Cooper), Actress (Lady Gaga), Supporting Actor (Sam Elliott), Adapted Screenplay, Original Song (“Shallow”) [O], Cinematography, Sound Mixing
The Wife (2018, 91st): Actress (Glenn Close)

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Nov. 1-3, 2013

Weekend Box Office:

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013, 86th) – $20,010,303 ($61,568,639 total) {week 2}
Gravity (2013, 86th) – $12,825,346 ($218,891,359 total) {week 5}
Captain Phillips (2013, 86th) – $8,407,725 ($82,458,232 total) {week 4}
12 Years a Slave (2013, 86th) – $4,792,214 ($8,952,538 total) {week 3}
All Is Lost (2013, 86th) – $571,003 ($1,447,510 total) {week 3}
Despicable Me 2 (2013, 86th) – $423,340 ($364,774,325 total) {week 18}
Prisoners (2013, 86th) – $401,278 ($59,949,885 total) {week 7}
Dallas Buyers Club (2013, 86th) – $260,865 ($260,865 total) {week 1}
Blue Jasmine (2013, 86th) – $111,675 ($32,387,326 total) {week 15}
The Square (2013, 86th) – $12,000 ($32,700 total) {week 2}
20 Feet from Stardom (2013, 86th) – $582 ($4,730,870 total) {week 21}
The Broken Circle Breakdown (2013, 86th) – $7,100 ($7,100 total) {week 1}
Before Midnight (2013, 86th) – $350 ($8,114,507 total) {week 24}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013, 86th) – $25,720,500 ($79,138,042 total)
Gravity (2013, 86th) – $16,485,223 ($281,354,822 total)
Captain Phillips (2013, 86th) – $10,806,977 ($105,988,748 total)
12 Years a Slave (2013, 86th) – $6,159,734 ($11,507,260 total)
All Is Lost (2013, 86th) – $733,946 ($1,860,576 total)
Despicable Me 2 (2013, 86th) – $544,146 ($468,867,367 total)
Prisoners (2013, 86th) – $515,788 ($77,057,355 total)
Dallas Buyers Club (2013, 86th) – $335,306 ($335,306 total)
Blue Jasmine (2013, 86th) – $143,543 ($41,629,466 total)
The Square (2013, 86th) – $15,424 ($42,031 total)
20 Feet from Stardom (2013, 86th) – $748 ($6,080,885 total)
The Broken Circle Breakdown (2013, 86th) – $9,126 ($9,126 total)
Before Midnight (2013, 86th) – $450 ($10,430,086 total)

Oscar Details:

12 Years a Slave (2013, 86th): Picture [O], Directing, Actor (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Supporting Actor (Michael Fassbender), Supporting Actress (Lupita Nyong’o) [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Film Editing, Production Design, Costume Design
20 Feet from Stardom (2013, 86th): Documentary Feature [O]
All Is Lost (2013, 86th): Sound Film Editing
Before Midnight (2013, 86th): Adapted Screenplay
Blue Jasmine (2013, 86th): Actress (Cate Blanchett) [O], Supporting Actress (Sally Hawkins), Original Screenplay
The Broken Circle Breakdown (2013, 86th): Foreign Language Film
Captain Phillips (2013, 86th): Picture, Supporting Actor (Barkhad Abdi), Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing, Sound Mixing, Sound Film Editing
Dallas Buyers Club (2013, 86th): Picture, Actor (Matthew McConaughey) [O], Supporting Actor (Jared Leto) [O], Original Screenplay, Film Editing, Makeup and Hairstyling [O]
Despicable Me 2 (2013, 86th): Animated Feature, Original Song (“Happy”)
Gravity (2013, 86th): Picture, Directing [O], Actress (Sandra Bullock), Original Score [O], Film Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Production Design, Sound Mixing [O], Sound Film Editing [O], Visual Effects [O]
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013, 86th): Makeup and Hairstyling
Prisoners (2013, 86th): Cinematography
The Square (2013, 86th): Documentary Feature

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 31-Nov. 2, 2008

Weekend Box Office:

Changeling (2008, 81st) – $9,351,560 ($10,031,122 total) {week 2}
Rachel Getting Married (2008, 81st) – $711,380 ($3,691,540 total) {week 5}
The Duchess (2008, 81st) – $623,310 ($12,331,518 total) {week 7}
Happy-Go-Lucky (2008, 81st) – $277,006 ($762,761 total) {week 4}
The Dark Knight (2008, 81st) – $270,468 ($528,213,279 total) {week 16}
WALL-E (2008, 81st) – $211,392 ($222,722,986 total) {week 19}
Tropic Thunder (2008, 81st) – $120,057 ($110,268,794 total) {week 12}
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008, 81st) – $82,160 ($22,121,273 total) {week 12}
Frozen River (2008, 81st) – $26,227 ($2,198,174 total) {week 14}
Man on Wire (2008, 81st) – $20,161 ($2,771,553 total) {week 15}
Trouble the Water (2008, 81st) – $16,209 ($425,461 total) {week 11}
Encounters at the End of the World (2008, 81st) – $1,730 ($943,934 total) {week 21}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Changeling (2008, 81st) – $13,610,557 ($14,599,613 total)
Rachel Getting Married (2008, 81st) – $1,035,365 ($5,372,785 total)
The Duchess (2008, 81st) – $907,185 ($17,947,683 total)
Happy-Go-Lucky (2008, 81st) – $403,163 ($1,110,147 total)
The Dark Knight (2008, 81st) – $393,648 ($768,778,380 total)
WALL-E (2008, 81st) – $307,667 ($324,158,106 total)
Tropic Thunder (2008, 81st) – $174,735 ($160,488,704 total)
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008, 81st) – $119,578 ($32,196,003 total)
Frozen River (2008, 81st) – $38,172 ($3,199,292 total)
Man on Wire (2008, 81st) – $29,343 ($4,033,806 total)
Trouble the Water (2008, 81st) – $23,591 ($619,229 total)
Encounters at the End of the World (2008, 81st) – $2,518 ($1,373,832 total)

Oscar Details:

Changeling (2008, 81st): Actress (Angelina Jolie), Cinematography, Art Direction
The Dark Knight (2008, 81st): Supporting Actor (Heath Ledger) [O], Film Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction, Makeup, Sound Mixing, Sound Film Editing [O], Visual Effects
The Duchess (2008, 81st): Art Direction, Costume Design [O]
Encounters at the End of the World (2008, 81st): Documentary Feature
Frozen River (2008, 81st): Actress (Melissa Leo), Original Screenplay
Happy-Go-Lucky (2008, 81st): Original Screenplay
Man on Wire (2008, 81st): Documentary Feature [O]
Rachel Getting Married (2008, 81st): Actress (Anne Hathaway)
Tropic Thunder (2008, 81st): Supporting Actor (Robert Downey Jr.)
Trouble the Water (2008, 81st): Documentary Feature
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008, 81st): Supporting Actress (Penelope Cruz) [O]
WALL-E (2008, 81st): Animated Feature [O], Original Screenplay, Original Song (“Down to Earth”), Original Score, Sound Mixing, Sound Film Editing

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 31-Nov. 2, 2003

Weekend Box Office:

Brother Bear (2003, 76th) – $19,404,492 ($19,802,809 total) {week 2}
Mystic River (2003, 76th) – $6,232,376 ($33,546,588 total) {week 4}
Lost in Translation (2003, 76th) – $1,233,218 ($24,844,481 total) {week 8}
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003, 76th) – $433,278 ($301,823,371 total) {week 17}
Finding Nemo (2003, 76th) – $289,011 ($339,159,075 total) {week 23}
Pieces of April (2003, 76th) – $232,570 ($551,542 total) {week 3}
Seabiscuit (2003, 76th) – $141,645 ($119,564,075 total) {week 15}
American Splendor (2003, 76th) – $37,555 ($5,811,096 total) {week 12}
Winged Migration (2002, 75th) – $32,384 ($10,600,573 total) {week 29}
Dirty Pretty Things (2003, 76th) – $29,857 ($7,908,251 total) {week 16}
Whale Rider (2003, 76th) – $21,136 ($20,702,778 total) {week 22}
Thirteen (2003, 76th) – $16,407 ($4,533,153 total) {week 11}
Spellbound (2002, 75th) – $5,884 ($5,712,183 total) {week 27}
City of God (2003, 76th) – $4,782 ($4,691,017 total) {week 42}
The Weather Underground (2003, 76th) – $3,502 ($453,628 total) {week 22}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Brother Bear (2003, 76th) – $33,628,017 ($34,318,301 total)
Mystic River (2003, 76th) – $10,800,718 ($58,136,293 total)
Lost in Translation (2003, 76th) – $2,137,169 ($43,055,527 total)
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003, 76th) – $750,871 ($523,060,402 total)
Finding Nemo (2003, 76th) – $500,857 ($587,763,239 total)
Pieces of April (2003, 76th) – $403,044 ($955,823 total)
Seabiscuit (2003, 76th) – $245,471 ($207,204,740 total)
American Splendor (2003, 76th) – $65,083 ($10,070,639 total)
Winged Migration (2002, 75th) – $56,122 ($18,370,811 total)
Dirty Pretty Things (2003, 76th) – $51,742 ($13,705,012 total)
Whale Rider (2003, 76th) – $36,629 ($35,877,949 total)
Thirteen (2003, 76th) – $28,433 ($7,855,962 total)
Spellbound (2002, 75th) – $10,197 ($9,899,223 total)
City of God (2003, 76th) – $8,287 ($8,129,540 total)
The Weather Underground (2003, 76th) – $6,069 ($786,138 total)

Oscar Details:

American Splendor (2003, 76th): Adapted Screenplay
Brother Bear (2003, 76th): Animated Feature
City of God (2003, 76th): Director, Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing, Cinematography
Dirty Pretty Things (2003, 76th): Original Screenplay
Finding Nemo (2003, 76th): Animated Feature [O], Original Screenplay, Original Score, Sound Film Editing
Lost in Translation (2003, 76th): Picture, Director, Actor (Bill Murray), Original Screenplay [O]
Mystic River (2003, 76th): Picture, Director, Actor (Sean Penn) [O], Supporting Actor (Tim Robbins) [O], Supporting Actress (Marcia Gay Harden), Adapted Screenplay
Pieces of April (2003, 76th): Supporting Actress (Patricia Clarkson)
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003, 76th): Actor (Johnny Depp), Makeup, Sound Mixing, Sound Film Editing, Visual Effects
Seabiscuit (2003, 76th): Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design, Sound Mixing
Spellbound (2002, 75th): Documentary Feature
Thirteen (2003, 76th): Supporting Actress (Holly Hunter)
The Weather Underground (2003, 76th): Documentary Feature
Whale Rider (2003, 76th): Actress (Keisha Castle-Hughes)
Winged Migration (2002, 75th): Documentary Feature

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 30-Nov. 1, 1998

Weekend Box Office:

Pleasantville (1998, 71st) – $6,879,604 ($18,294,728 total) {week 2}
Beloved (1998, 71st) – $2,656,117 ($18,712,389 total) {week 3}
What Dreams May Come (1998, 71st) – $2,284,940 ($50,547,986 total) {week 5}
American History X (1998, 71st) – $156,076 ($185,816 total) {week 1}
Life Is Beautiful (1998, 71st) – $459,634 ($651,832 total) {week 2}
Saving Private Ryan (1998, 71st) – $568,678 ($189,658,496 total) {week 15}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Pleasantville (1998, 71st) – $15,328,755 ($40,763,307 total)
Beloved (1998, 71st) – $5,918,214 ($41,693,916 total)
What Dreams May Come (1998, 71st) – $5,091,178 ($112,628,242 total)
American History X (1998, 71st) – $347,760 ($414,025 total)
Life Is Beautiful (1998, 71st) – $1,024,131 ($1,452,376 total)
Saving Private Ryan (1998, 71st) – $1,267,097 ($422,586,628 total)

Oscar Details:

American History X (1998, 71st): Actor (Edward Norton)
Beloved (1998, 71st): Costume Design
Life Is Beautiful (1998, 71st): Picture, Director, Actor (Roberto Benigni) [O], Original Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score [O], Film Editing, Foreign Language Film [O]
Pleasantville (1998, 71st): Original Dramatic Score, Art Direction, Costume Design
Saving Private Ryan (1998, 71st): Picture, Director [O], Actor (Tom Hanks), Original Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score, Film Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Art Direction, Makeup, Sound [O], Sound Effects [O]
What Dreams May Come (1998, 71st): Art Direction, Visual Effects [O]

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 29-31, 1993

Weekend Box Office:

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993, 66th) – $8,212,477 ($16,496,778 total) {week 3}
The Age of Innocence (1993, 66th) – $1,553,481 ($27,190,937 total) {week 7}
The Fugitive (1993, 66th) – $1,122,563 ($176,074,697 total) {week 13}
Fearless (1993, 66th) – $1,010,024 ($1,469,358 total) {week 3}
Jurassic Park (1993, 66th) – $500,565 ($329,398,445 total) {week 21}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993, 66th) – $20,729,562 ($41,640,418 total)
The Age of Innocence (1993, 66th) – $3,921,226 ($68,634,128 total)
The Fugitive (1993, 66th) – $2,833,523 ($444,439,755 total)
Fearless (1993, 66th) – $2,549,457 ($3,708,887 total)
Jurassic Park (1993, 66th) – $1,263,503 ($831,452,597 total)

Oscar Details:

The Age of Innocence (1993, 66th): Supporting Actress (Winona Ryder), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, Art Direction, Costume Design [O]
Fearless (1993, 66th): Supporting Actress (Rosie Perez)
The Fugitive (1993, 66th): Picture, Supporting Actor (Tommy Lee Jones) [O], Original Score, Film Editing, Cinematography, Sound, Sound Effects
Jurassic Park (1993, 66th): Sound [O], Sound Effects [O], Visual Effects [O]
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993, 66th): Visual Effects

35 Years Ago: The Weekend of Oct. 28-30, 1988

Weekend Box Office:

The Accused (1988, 61st) – $3,006,276 ($14,225,673 total) {week 3}
Gorillas in the Mist (1988, 61st) – $1,554,650 ($17,866,977 total) {week 6}
A Fish Called Wanda (1988, 61st) – $791,632 ($57,367,479 total) {week 16}
Die Hard (1988, 61st) – $680,673 ($76,181,473 total) {week 16}
The Last Temptation of Christ (1988, 61st) – $112,607 ($7,816,140 total) {week 12}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

The Accused (1988, 61st) – $7,643,694 ($36,169,899 total)
Gorillas in the Mist (1988, 61st) – $3,952,821 ($45,428,202 total)
A Fish Called Wanda (1988, 61st) – $2,012,787 ($145,861,352 total)
Die Hard (1988, 61st) – $1,730,665 ($193,697,419 total)
The Last Temptation of Christ (1988, 61st) – $286,312 ($19,873,154 total)

Oscar Details:

The Accused (1988, 61st): Actress (Jodie Foster) [O]
Die Hard (1988, 61st): Film Editing, Sound, Sound Effects, Visual Effects
A Fish Called Wanda (1988, 61st): Director, Supporting Actor (Kevin Kline) [O], Original Screenplay
Gorillas in the Mist (1988, 61st): Actress (Sigourney Weaver), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, Film Editing, Sound
The Last Temptation of Christ (1988, 61st): Director

40 Years Ago: The Weekend of Nov. 4-6, 1983

Weekend Box Office:

The Big Chill (1983, 56th) – $2,967,617 ($25,303,941 total) {week 6}
The Right Stuff (1983, 56th) – $1,485,106 ($5,767,908 total) {week 3}
Educating Rita (1983, 56th) – $1,203,990 ($3,589,001 total) {week 7}
Under Fire (1983, 56th) – $715,233 ($4,873,623 total) {week 3}
Return of the Jedi (1983, 56th) – $355,538 ($242,621,536 total) {week 24}
Testament (1983, 56th) – $317,996 ($317,996 total) {week 1}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

The Big Chill (1983, 56th) – $9,844,952 ($83,944,820 total)
The Right Stuff (1983, 56th) – $4,926,780 ($19,134,806 total)
Educating Rita (1983, 56th) – $3,994,189 ($11,906,368 total)
Under Fire (1983, 56th) – $2,372,757 ($16,168,051 total)
Return of the Jedi (1983, 56th) – $1,179,483 ($804,887,318 total)
Testament (1983, 56th) – $1,054,939 ($1,054,939 total)

Oscar Details:

The Big Chill (1983, 56th): Picture, Supporting Actress (Glenn Close), Original Screenplay
Educating Rita (1983, 56th): Actor (Michael Caine), Actress (Julie Walters), Adapted Screenplay
Return of the Jedi (1983, 56th): Original Score, Art Direction, Sound, Sound Effects, Visual Effects [O]
The Right Stuff (1983, 56th): Picture, Supporting Actor (Sam Shepard), Original Score, Film Editing [O], Cinematography, Art Direction, Sound [O], Sound Effects [O]
Testament (1983, 56th): Actress (Jane Alexander)
Under Fire (1983, 56th): Original Score