John Woo Faces the Competition

Paramount Pictures’ latest release, “Face/Off,” captured the top spot at the weekend box office. The John Woo action film, starring John Travolta and Nicolas Cage, pulled in $23.4 million, edging out Disney’s animated feature “Hercules,” which grossed $21.4 million as it moved into wider release. “Hercules” should top $100 million in North America, according to John Krier, who heads Exhibitor Relations, a company that tracks box office. But Krier said the film may not do as well as 1994’s “The Lion King,” which made $312 million.

The news for “Batman & Robin,” meanwhile, focused on how quickly it dropped after its first weekend. The Warner Bros. action sequel, which opened to $42.8 million, racked up only $15.7 million during its second weekend. “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” starring Julia Roberts, meanwhile, solidified its claim as sleeper of the summer by taking in $49.2 million in only two weeks ($34.2 million in its first week).

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3-Day Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1.”Face/Off” $23.4 2,621 1 (Paramount) $23.4 $8,923 2.”Hercules” $21.5 2,872 3 (Disney) $23.7 $7,470 3.”Batman & Robin” $15.7 2,942 2 (Warner Bros.) $75.2 $5,349 4.”My Best Friend’s Wedding” $15.0 2,134 2 (Sony/TriStar) $49.2 $7,037 5.”Con Air” $5.9 2,564 4 (Disney/Touchstone) $78.5 $2,301 6.”The Lost World: Jurassic Park” $4.5 2,607 6 (Universal) $213.2 $1,740 7.”Speed 2: Cruise Control” $3.7 2,438 3 (Fox) $38.1 $1,528 8.”Liar Liar” $1.3 980 15 (Universal) $172.9 $1,330 9.”Austin Powers” $671,090 993 9 (New Line) $50.0 $676 10.”Ulee’s Gold” $603,274 103 3 (Orion/M.E.G.) $1.2 $5,857

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SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.