`VAMPIRES' STAKES ITS CLAIM TO NO. 1 AT FILM BOX OFFICE.Byline: Dave McNary Daily News Staff Writer ``John Carpenter's Vampires'' soared past rivals to lead the nation's Halloween weekend box office with an estimated $9.2 million at 1,793 theaters during the Friday-Sunday period, studio sources said Sunday. The results set a record for a Halloween weekend opening, easily topping the 1981 mark of $7.4 million set by ``Halloween II.'' The Sony release starring James Woods James Wood can refer to:
adj. No longer living but supernaturally animated, as a zombie. , was the only nationwide debut as other studios chose to avoid competing with trick-or-treating and a plethora plethora /pleth·o·ra/ (pleth´ah-rah) 1. an excess of blood. 2. by extension, a red florid complexion.pletho´ric pleth·o·ra n. 1. of parties. ``The opening was well over our internal estimates, so we are thrilled because this is generally a soft weekend,'' Sony spokesman Ed Russell said. The success of ``Vampires,'' also the largest opening for a film directed by Carpenter, follows a long line of solid performance recently in the horror genre such as the two ``Scream'' films, ``I Know What You Did Last Summer'' and ``Blade.'' Sony will roll out ``I Still Know What You Did Last Summer'' on the upcoming Friday the 13th Friday the 13th regarded as unlucky day. [Western Folklore: Misc.] See : Luck, Bad . `` `Vampires' shows again that you don't need a major star or a big budget to draw the core audience, which are the 16- to 25-year-olds who hang out at malls with multiplexes,'' said Robert Bucksbaum, president of the Reel Source forecasting service. The analyst said ``Vampires'' will likely finish its run with $28.5 million. With the distraction of Halloween and only one new film, the overall weekend results amounted to about $51 million, off 14 percent from the same weekend last year. That marked the first time since the Fourth of July Fourth of July, Independence Day, or July Fourth, U.S. holiday, commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Celebration of it began during the American Revolution. weekend that the box office has declined on a year-to-year basis. Last weekend's winner, ``Pleasantville,'' came in second with a respectable $6.6 million at 1,761 theaters as the New Line fantasy-comedy, already supported by critics as an Academy Award contender, dropped only 25 percent from its debut weekend. Warner Bros BROS Brothers BROS Benefits and Retirement Operations Section (King County, Washington) BROS Barnes and Richmond Operatic Society (London, UK) .' third weekend of ``Practical Magic'' finished third with $5.1 million at 2,642 sites to top $33 million after 17 days. ``Antz'' saw a sharp drop due to Halloween with $4.1 million at 2,929 sites in its fifth weekend as it took in barely half its previous Friday-Sunday take. The DreamWorks SKG SKG Stichting Kwaliteit Gevelbouw (Dutch) SKG Spielberg, Katzenberg,and Geffen (DreamWorks Studios) SKG Thessaloniki, Greece - Thessaloniki (Airport Code) SKG Smith and Kraus Global release has drawn $67.4 million in 31 days to go past ``Beavis and Butt-head Do America's'' $63.1 million record as the top non-Disney animated film domestically. The Disney record is $312.8 million for ``The Lion King,'' but Bucksbaum said attaining the non-Disney record represents a major milestone for 4-year-old DreamWorks, which is making animated movies a major part of its release schedule. Bucksbaum projects DreamWorks' next animated entry, ``Prince of Egypt,'' will easily out-perform ``Antz'' when it comes out next month. Top movies Here are estimated grosses at North American North American named after North America. North American blastomycosis see North American blastomycosis. North American cattle tick see boophilusannulatus. theaters for Friday through Sunday. 1. ``John Carpenter's Vampires,'' $9.2 million. 2. ``Pleasantville,'' $6.6 million. 3. ``Practical Magic,'' $5.1 million. 4. ``Antz,'' $4.1 million. 5. ``Bride of Chucky,'' $4 million. 6. ``Rush Hour,'' $3.4 million. 7. ``Soldier,'' $2.63 million. 8. ``Beloved,'' $2.58 million. 9. ``What Dreams May Come,'' $2.3 million. 10. ``Apt Pupil
Summer of Corruption: Apt Pupil (1982) is a novella by Stephen King, originally published in Different Seasons (1982). ,'' $1.7 million. CAPTION(S): box Box: Top movies (see text) |
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