Weekend Box Office : Box Office Continues Its Breakout

This weekend marked the 15th weekend in a row that movie attendance was up over the same time last year, setting a box-office record. “It’s the first time we’ve ever had 15 consecutive weekends up over the previous year,” said John Krier, president of Exhibitor Relations, which tracks box-office receipts. “It’s amazing how it just keeps going up and up and up.”

“Breakdown,” starring Kurt Russell and Kathleen Quinlan as a couple whose car problems along a desolate Southwestern highway thrust them into the company of a not-so-good Samaritan, was in the top spot, with $12.3 million in its opening weekend. “It’s something we can all relate to: being stranded or breaking down, but they put a little twist in it,” said Krier. “It’s about fear on the road.”

In second place, “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery,” starring Mike Myers as a secret agent from the swinging ‘60s thrust into modern times, also opened over the weekend, with $9.5 million.

*--*

3-Day Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1.”Breakdown” $12.3 2,108 1 (Paramount) $12.3 $5,838 2.”Austin Powers: $9.5 2,187 1 International Man of Mystery” $9.5 $4,366 (New Line) 3.”Volcano” $9.0 2,777 2 (Fox) $27.4 $3,277 4.”Liar Liar” $5.9 2,675 7 (Universal) $151.4 $2,190 5.”Romy and Michele’s $5.3 1,606 2 High School Reunion” $14.9 $3,317 (Disney/Touchstone) 6.”Anaconda” $4.7 2,456 4 (Sony) $49.4 $1,922 7.”Warriors of Virtue” $3.3 2,101 1 (MGM/UA) $3.3 $1,560 8.”The Saint” $3.0 2,118 5 (Paramount) $52.5 $1,445 9.”Murder at 1600” $2.8 1,970 3 (Warner Bros.) $19.5 $1,445 10.”Grosse Pointe Blank” $2.0 1,177 4 (Disney/Hollywood) $21.1 $1,743

*--*

SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.