WEEKEND BOX OFFICE : A Bad Weekend at the Box Office

A sign of just how bad business was this past weekend: Receipts for “A Fish Called Wanda” dropped 7% from the previous weekend, and the film still managed to move from third to first place. “This was one of the worst weekends of the year,” said John Krier, president of Exhibitor Relations Co. “Wanda,” MGM’s sleeper comedy that awoke at the end of summer, grossed $2.55 million at 1,207 theaters, averaging about $2,113 per screen. Business for “Moon Over Parador” dropped nearly 26% and “Nightmare on Elm Street 4” dropped 31% from the previous weekend.

* “The Beast,” Columbia’s adventure film about the Afghan-Soviet war, grossed a none-too-savage $55,166 at 21 theaters, averaging $2,627 per screen.

Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average in Release 1. “A Fish Called Wanda” $2.55 1,207 10 (MGM/UA) $45.1 $2,117 2. “Die Hard” $2.54 1,371 10 (20th Century Fox) $65.4 $1,853 3. “Moon Over Parador” $2.45 1,143 2 (Universal) $6.7 $2,145 4. “Nightmare on Elm Street 4” $2.2 1,465 5 (New Line) $41.3 $1,516 5. “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” $2.1 1,393 13 (Touchstone/Disney) $135.9 $1,498 * “The Beast” $.055 21 1 (Columbia) $.055 $2,626

SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co