‘Star Trek’ Powers a Hot Weekend

The total weekend box office for films grossing $500,000 or more was $92 million, up from $80 million for last year’s pre-Thanksgiving weekend, a 15% increase, said Paul Dergarabedian, executive vice president of Exhibitor Relations. It was propelled by “Star Trek: First Contact”--the biggest opener in the science-fiction series--which took business away from the youth-driven “Space Jam” and “Jingle All the Way.”

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Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1. “Star Trek: First Contact” $30.7 2,812 1 (Paramount) $30.7 $10,923 2. “Space Jam” $16.2 2,650 2 (Warner Bros.) $48.3 $6,120 3. “Ransom” $13.1 2,768 3 (Disney/Buena Vista) $85.7 $4,763 4. “Jingle All the Way” $12.1 2,401 1 (Fox) $12.1 $5,045 5. “The Mirror Has Two Faces” $8.0 2,489 2 (Sony/TriStar) $24.0 $3,219 6. “Set It Off” $3.3 1,016 3 (New Line) $25.6 $3,271 7. “William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet” $3.2 1,808 4 (Fox) $35.8 $1,767 8. “The English Patient” $2.7 268 2 (Miramax) $3.2 $10,123 9. “Sleepers” $1.4 1,582 6 (Warner Bros.) $49.1 $866 10. “The First Wives Club” $723,675 990 10 (Paramount) $100.6 $731 * “Shine” $162,179 7 1 (Fine Line) $162,179 $23,168

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* A radiant newcomer, “Shine,” the story of an Australian pianist’s genius and madness, opened in only seven theaters in Los Angeles, New York and Toronto with an impressive per-screen-average of $23,168. It will expand on Christmas Day and again on Jan. 17, but Fine Line officials declined to give specifics.

SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.