‘Boyz’ Holds Its Ground at the Box Office : Movies: Film about growing up in South-Central Los Angeles survives first weekend’s troubles; ‘Terminator 2’ rolls on.

In its second weekend, Columbia Pictures’ urban drama “Boyz N the Hood” held its turf at the nation’s box office, weathering the bad publicity from the violence that marred its first weekend, and maintaining its share of audience against the still-reigning ticket-selling champ “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.”

Second weekend business for “Boyz,” about three young men growing up in South-Central Los Angeles, produced more than $7 million in ticket sales on 901 screens. Its total stands at more than $22 million for the first 10 days in release.

But it’s the big-budget, wide release of “Terminator 2,” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as a cyborg transported back to the present, that continues to beat all foes this summer. The film held on to first place for the third week, and has accumulated $115.3 million to date. Showing at 2,349 screens, the Tri-Star Pictures release sold more than $14 million worth of tickets for the weekend.

Orion Pictures’ “Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey” took second place in its opening weekend. The movie, a low-budgeted, teen-oriented sequel to 1989’s “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” featuring Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves, generated $10.2 million at the box office.

Powered by such hit films as “Terminator 2,” “Robin Hood Prince of Thieves,” and “City Slickers,” the summer season’s box-office total reached $1 billion as of Sunday and is just shy of the pace of business last summer, according to figures compiled by the trade newspaper Daily Variety.

The second weekend of “Boyz N the Hood” was closely watched by the film industry, anxious about the public’s response to the film--and movie-going in general--following the first weekend’s gang-related violence. Two people were killed and 33 others wounded at 19 theaters around the nation.

But the news--or lack of news--on Monday morning was met with a sigh of relief among theater operators, many of whom had increased security in the wake of the trouble, with financial support from Columbia Pictures.

One theater-chain executive, who did not wish to be identified, noted that the “Boyz” opening fit the pattern of previous movies in which gangs are a presence in the storyline: As in the case of “The Warriors,” “Boulevard Nights” and “Colors,” among others, violence occurs on the opening night and then tapers off.

The scenario, said Mike Salgado, a community volunteer who works with Orange County gang members, is that the movie is “perceived as the place to be. You get an automatic confrontation. After the first night, the heat is off.”

Columbia Pictures’ executives did not return phone calls from The Times on Monday.

Also among the weekend’s top films: Walt Disney’s 30-year-old “101 Dalmatians” slipped to third place after opening the week before in second place. Paramount Pictures’ “Regarding Henry,” starring Harrison Ford, did a slow $6.2 million in business--but the figure was unusual in that it represented virtually no change from the business the movie did in its first week, although the number of screens was slightly up. Normally, ticket sales fall off after an opening weekend.

Meanwhile, 20th Century Fox’s “Dutch” opened poorly in 10th place to an estimated $1.9 million on 1,234 screens.

Weekend Box Office

Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1. “Terminator 2” $14.9 2,349 3 (Tri-Star) $115.3 $6,341 2. “Bill & Ted’s” $10.2 1,624 1 (Orion) $10.2 $6,322 3. “101 Dalmatians” $7.8 1,825 2 (Disney) $24.7 $4,300 4. “Boyz N the Hood” $7.3 901 2 (Columbia) $22.5 $8,109 5. “Regarding Henry” $6.1 1,063 2 (Studio) $17 $5,803

SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.