Moviegoers Near 1989’s Record Pace

Movie patrons have paid nearly $4 billion so far this year at the domestic box office, just slightly behind last year’s record-setting pace, when ticket sales reached $5 billion by year-end.

Good performances by action-adventure films such as “Marked for Death” and “Memphis Belle” and the continued popularity of “Ghost” have kept ticket sales from lagging in recent weeks.

The year-to-date total hit $3.92 billion over the weekend, compared to $3.97 billion for the same period last year, Daily Variety reported Tuesday. In 1988, the total at the same juncture had hit $3.51 billion.

The top 10 movies of the weekend grossed a total of $33.1 million, off 9% from the previous weekend’s take of $36.3 million. The gross was also down 14% from the $38.5 million taken in by the top 10 last year, when “Look Who’s Talking” set a fall weekend record of $14.1 million.

For the week, the domestic box office for all movies in release reached $75.6 million, off slightly from the $77.2 million grossed in the same week a year ago. In 1988, the same week produced ticket sales of $54.6 million.

“Marked for Death,” which has earned $28.9 million in 17 days for 20th Century Fox, will face stiff competition for the top spot next weekend when Paramount releases Stephen King’s “Graveyard Shift.”

Universal’s steamy “White Palace,” meanwhile, may perform well as it goes into wide release. The romance-comedy, starring Susan Sarandon and James Spader, grossed $1.1 million at just 99 screens in its debut last weekend.

“Ghost” will probably pass Disney’s “Pretty Woman” around Halloween as the year’s most popular film. “Ghost” has pulled in $172.2 million for Paramount, and “Pretty Woman” has grossed $177.2 million.

Five other releases have topped $100 million in ticket sales this year: New Line’s “Teen-Age Mutant Ninja Turtles,” with $133.1 million; Paramount’s “Hunt for Red October,” with $120.7 million; Carolco’s “Total Recall,” with $118.3 million; Fox’s “Die Hard 2,” with $114.1 million, and Disney’s “Dick Tracy,” with $103.7 million.