`BRIDE' CATCHES BIGGEST BOUQUET.

Byline: Dave McNary Staff Writer

Moviegoers mobbed multiplexes to catch Julia Roberts' comedy ``Runaway Bride'' as it led a record-setting weekend at the nation's box office with a robust $34.5 million at 3,158 theaters during the Friday-Sunday period, studio sources said Sunday.

``Bride'' topped an astounding performance by horror sensation ``The Blair Witch Project'' - with $28.5 million at 1,101 theaters - with the mock-documentary continuing to generate sell-outs as it expanded from the art-house circuit to mainstream locales.

Summer continued to sizzle with overall ticket sales hitting $155 million, obliterating the previous record for a three-day nonholiday weekend - set last weekend - by an astounding 14 percent.

``The level of business right now is just mind-boggling,'' said Robert Bucksbaum, president of the Reel Source forecasting service. ``Everyone is going; it's become the thing to do.''

Two other notable records fell this weekend:

Top opening for an adult-oriented comedy by ``Runaway Bride,'' eclipsing the $31.5 million debut last year for ``The Truman Show.''

Top per-theater weekend average by ``Blair Witch'' with $25,885, beating the record set by ``Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace'' by 19 percent.

Paramount's ``Runaway Bride,'' with Roberts portraying a woman who keeps getting cold feet at the altar, also represented the top opening for a film by the comedy star as it easily surpassed the $27.7 million debut by ``Notting Hill'' over the four-day Memorial Day weekend. The reteaming of Roberts with ``Pretty Woman'' co-star Richard Gere and director Garry Marshall should continue to prove potent in coming weeks, with final gross in the range of the $127 million taken in by Roberts' 1997 hit, ``My Best Friend's Wedding.''

``The weekend was well beyond what we expected,'' said Paramount distribution chief Wayne Lewellen. ``We think the public was ready for a film that was aimed at older audiences. The word of mouth should be pretty good.''

As for ``Blair Witch,'' the made-on-a-shoestring project achieved break-out hit status among teen-agers and young adults as buzz continued to build over the unique tale of three filmmakers disappearing into the Maryland wilderness. ``The desire to see `Blair Witch' has been spreading like wildfire,'' said Bucksbaum, who boosted his forecast for its final take to $150 million from $85 million. ``Everyone is interested in this film.''

Artisan will add 800 to 900 theaters next weekend, many in smaller markets, for ``Blair Witch'' as part of its strategy of gradually building awareness. ``I think this film has become a cultural phenomenon,'' said studio President Amir Malin. ``This issue for us has now become saying `no' to exhibitors who want the film because we want to avoid cannibalizing our audience in markets where it's already playing.''

Three other films posted impressive results, led by Warner Bros.' first weekend of hungry-sharks-fest ``Deep Blue Sea,'' with $18.2 million at 2,864 theaters to go with the $6.1 million it swallowed Wednesday and Thursday.

Another horror entry, DreamWorks' second weekend of ``The Haunting,'' finished a respectable fourth with $15.1 million at 2,864 theaters as the tale of a demonic house dropped off 55 percent from its leading post last weekend. Disney's second weekend of family comedy ``Inspector Gadget'' followed with $14 million at 2,877 locations, losing 36 percent.

Industry tracker Arthur Rockwell noted the weekend represented the ninth in a row in which a different film has led the box office as summer moviegoing remains at a pace 20 percent above last summer's record-setting level. ``The overall numbers are the story,'' he said. ``It's not that people are going blindly to movies; it's that attendance is being driven by good product flow and the development of large megaplex theaters.''

The next six spots on the weekend list were occupied by films that have finished at No. 1 during the past two months, led by Universal's fourth weekend of ``American Pie'' with $6.7 million at 2,436 sites, followed by Warner's third weekend of ``Eyes Wide Shut'' with $4.1 million at 2,264 theaters as Stanley Kubrick's final film continued its quick fade with a 61 percent decline from last weekend.

Sony's sixth weekend of ``Big Daddy'' finished eighth with $3.5 million at 2,288 screens as it became the sixth 1999 film and 66th of all time to join the $150 million club, posting $152.6 million. 20th Century Fox's 11th weekend of ``Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace'' followed with $3.3 million at 1,640 sites to push its 75-day total to $408.5 million.

Disney's seventh weekend of ``Tarzan'' came in 10th with $3 million at 1,611 theaters, to go past $158 million and edge Warner's fifth weekend of ``Wild Wild West'' with $2.7 million at 2,151 sites. The summer's business has been so powerful that ``West'' is viewed as a disappointment even though the high-budget comedy has hit $109 million after 33 days.

With five potentially solid openings next weekend and holdovers expected to continue to perform well, business is likely to sizzle for several more weeks. Disney, taking advantage of the horror genre's strength, showed sneak screenings Saturday of ``The Sixth Sense'' and reported strong response for the Bruce Willis vehicle, moved up from fall to roll out Friday. Also opening will be MGM's remake of ``The Thomas Crown Affair'' and a trio of comedies - Warner's animated ``Iron Giant,'' Universal's ``Mystery Men'' and Sony's ``Dick.''

Bucksbaum said the new films will likely generate respectable business because each is geared to a different audience, but he added that the expanded ``Blair Witch'' probably will win next weekend. ``There are probably a lot of studio executives asking producers now why they can't do something like `Blair Witch,' '' he added.

Final results for the Friday-Sunday period will be released today.

TOP MOVIES

Estimated grosses for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters:

1. ``Runaway Bride,'' $34.5 million.

2. ``The Blair Witch Project,'' $28.5 million.

3. ``Deep Blue Sea,'' $18.2 million.

4. ``The Haunting,'' $15.1 million.

5. ``Inspector Gadget,'' $14 million.

6. ``American Pie,'' $6.7 million.

7. ``Eyes Wide Shut,'' $4.1 million.

8. ``Big Daddy,'' $3.5 million.

9. ``Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace,'' $3.3 million.

10. ``Tarzan,'' $3 million.

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Box: Top movies (see text)