Weekend Box Office : Stallone, Snipes: Action at Box Office

The teaming of Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes in the action-genre movie “Demolition Man” proved dynamite at the nation’s box offices during the weekend. The Warner Bros. release sold $14.3 million in tickets, setting an industry record for an October opening. For Stallone, whose star power seemed to be waning only last spring, “Demolition Man” was his second of the year to open with a splash. The first was “Cliffhanger,” released last May.

Walt Disney’s “Cool Runnings,” about a Jamaican ice-sledding team, added screens and improved business. It moved from third place a week ago to second and is outpacing “The Mighty Ducks,” a comparable Disney family release a year ago. Meanwhile, the erotic thriller “Malice” slipped from first place a week ago to third.

Overall, the weekend’s ticket sales continue the winning streak at the nation’s box office. The year’s grosses are about 13% above the same time last year.

Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1. “Demolition Man” $14.3 2,246 1 (Warner Bros.) $14.3 $6,350 2. “Cool Runnings” $8.5 1,803 2 (Walt Disney) $17.2 $4,724 3. “Malice” $7.5 1,519 2 (Columbia) $19.5 $4,957 4. “The Good Son” $5.1 1,902 3 (20th Century Fox) $30.5 $2,697 5. “The Age of Innocence” $3.4 839 4 (Columbia) $18.4 $4,058 6. “The Joy Luck Club” $3.3 435 5 (Hollywood) $10.4 $7,555 7. “Mr. Jones” $3.1 1,481 1 (TriStar) $3.1 $2,095 8. “A Bronx Tale” $2.8 1,082 2 (Savoy) $7.8 $2,581 9. “The Program” $2.58 1,548 3 (Touchstone) $16.8 $1,668 10. “For Love or Money” $2.5 1,644 2 (Universal) $7.4 $1,525 * “Gettysburg” $913,617 124 1 (New Line Cinema) $913,617 $7,368

* The epic movie on the crucial Civil War battle of Gettysburg drew strong numbers in a limited, big-city opening, despite its 4-hours-plus running time, which limits the number of showings.

SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.