Weekend Box Office : ‘Freddy’ Slays the Competition Again

“Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare” remained the No. 1 film in the nation for the second consecutive week, despite a 50% drop in ticket sales. On a slumping box-office weekend, the final chapter of the “Nightmare on Elm Street” series grossed $6.6 million for a two-week total of $22.1 million. Two new releases cracked the Top 5: the cryonics comedy “Late for Dinner” opened at No. 2 with $3.6 million, and “Livin’ Large,” about a delivery boy-turned-TV news reporter, grossed $2.1 million to finish at No. 4.

* Strong opening reviews helped director Terry Gilliam’s modern-day fable “The Fisher King,” starring Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges, rake in $311,662 on 10 screens. The film averaged $31,166 per screen, compared to “Freddy’s Dead” with $3,563 per screen. Two other limited releases, Sean Penn’s directorial debut “The Indian Runner” and “Rambling Rose” starring Laura Dern, also opened well.

Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1. “Freddy’s Dead” $6.6 1,860 2 (New Line) $22.1 $3,563 2. “Late for Dinner” $3.6 1,013 1 (Columbia) $3.6 $3,561 3. “Dead Again” $3.2 940 5 (Paramount) $27.3 $3,407 4. “Livin’ Large” $2.1 825 1 (Goldwyn) $2.1 $2,581 5. “Terminator 2” $2 1,592 12 (TriStar) $193.6 $1,296 * “The Fisher King” $311,662 10 1 (TriStar) $311,662 $31,166

SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.