Weekend Box Office : ‘Santa’ Still the Screen King

Business was down from last weekend--par for the course after the busy Thanksgiving holiday stretch. Still, it now seems certain that 1994 will edge out last year’s record-breaking $5.2 billion in box-office grosses.

“The Santa Clause” easily held onto first place in a marketplace chock-full of kiddie movies such as “The Lion King,” “The Swan Princess” and “Miracle on 34th Street.” 20th Century Fox, whose “Miracle” remake is struggling to bring in the younger crowd, had more bad news with the dismal opening of its family comedy “Trapped in Paradise,” starring Dana Carvey, Nicolas Cage and Jon Lovitz.

“Interview With the Vampire’s” performance was aided by accompanying sneak previews Saturday night of “Disclosure”--Barry Levinson’s upcoming sexual harassment drama.

Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1.”The Santa Clause” $11.4 2,333 4 (Walt Disney) $84.6 $4,882 2.”Star Trek” $5.8 2,681 3 (Paramount) $57.6 $2,177 3.”Junior” $5.15 1,749 2 (Universal) $20.3 $2,945 4.”Interview With the Vampire” $5.12 2,086 4 (Warner Bros.) $91.0 $2,454 5.”A Low Down Dirty Shame” $4.8 1,379 2 (Disney/Hollywood) $17.9 $3,456 6.”The Lion King”* $3.1 1,558 3 (Walt Disney) $286.0 $1,996 7.”Trapped in Paradise” $2.7 1,286 1 (Fox) $2.7 $2,134 8.”The Professional” $2.3 1,220 3 (Columbia) $15.0 $1,890 9.”Stargate” $2.26 1,904 6 (MGM) $63.3 $1,190 10.”Miracle on 34th Street” $2.0 1,219 3 (Fox) $10.7 $1,654

* Box-office total includes initial 15-week release plus three-week reissue

SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.