New Films Help Pump Up Weekend

Attendance was up over the same weekend last year, paving the way for what the box-office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations says could well be a record-breaking summer. Though Jackie Chan’s “Operation Condor” performed a bit below expectations, “Nothing to Lose” turned in a solid debut and “George of the Jungle” opened strong.

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Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1. “Men in Black” $19.0 3,102 3 (Columbia) $172.1 $6,135 2. “George of the Jungle” $16.5 2,506 1 (Walt Disney) $22.9 $6,600 3. “Contact” $16.1 2,194 2 (Warner Bros.) $47.4 $7,345 4. “Nothing to Lose” $11.6 1,862 1 (Disney/Touchstone) $11.6 $6,239 5. “Face/Off” $8.9 2,851 4 (Paramount) $86.3 $3,126 6. “My Best Friend’s Wedding” $6.5 2,376 5 (TriStar) $94.7 $2,745 7. “Hercules” $5.2 2,541 6 (Walt Disney) $76.8 $2,043 8. “Operation Condor” $4.7 1,532 1 (Miramax) $4.7 $3,088 9. “Out to Sea” $3.2 1,633 3 (Fox) $20.1 $1,942 10. “Batman & Robin” $1.8 1,916 5 (Warner Bros.) $102.8 $929 * “Kiss Me, Guido” $114,682 5 1 (Paramount) $114,682 $22,936

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* “Kiss Me, Guido,” a comedy about a culture clash between a gay actor and a straight Italian American man, took in an impressive $22,936 on each of five screens. SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.