WEEKEND BOX OFFICE : ‘Kill’ Opens Big; ‘Cannons,’ ‘Stanley’ Fade

Warner Bros.’ action film “Hard to Kill” proved hard to beat at the weekend box office. Starring Steven Seagal as a hotshot cop who uses his martial arts skills to exact revenge on the hoods who murdered his family, the film had ticket sales of $9.2 million--the biggest opening of an otherwise sleepy new film year. No. 2 was Warner Bros.’ “Driving Miss Daisy,” with ticket sales of $6.4 million, for total receipts of nearly $33 million. No. 3 was Walt Disney Studios’ teary “Stella,” with $3.6 million in tickets, for a two-week total of $9.2 million. Tri-Star’s “Loose Cannons” opened weakly, mustering only $2.2 million in the weekend derby.

* MGM/UA’s “Stanley & Iris” also had a poor opening weekend. The Jane Fonda-Robert De Niro drama that tackles illiteracy chalked up just $2.1 million, for sixth place.

Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1.”Hard to Kill” $9.2 1,301 1 (Warner Bros.) $9.2 $7,082 2.”Driving Miss Daisy” $6.4 1,302 9 (Warner Bros.) $33 $4,988 3.”Stella” $3.6 1,213 2 (Disney) $9.2 $3,010 4.”Born on the Fourth of July” $3 1,295 8 (Universal) $48.3 $2,320 5.”Loose Cannons” $2.9 875 1 (Tri-Star) $2.9 1,845 *”Stanley & Iris” $2.1 907 1 (MGM/UA) $2.1 2,318

SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.