Weekend Box Office : ‘Sue’ First in a Soft Market

“America will love ‘Curly Sue’, “ say the ads. And although Americans aren’t exactly rushing to the movies these days, enough of them did over the weekend to push the John Hughes comedy into first place. The industry’s focus, however, was on Paramount’s family comedy, “All I Want for Christmas,” the first release under new chairman Brandon Tartikoff, made in six weeks, on a small budget. The movie didn’t generate enough box-office electricity to power a string of Christmas lights, but Paramount said the numbers looked low because so many of the tickets were at children’s prices.

The comedy “Strictly Business” opened in sixth place, with a soft $2.6 million in 881 theaters.

Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1. “Curly Sue” $4.9 1,634 3 (Warner Bros.) $17.1 $2,999 2. “People Under the Stairs” $4.4 1,850 2 (Universal) $11.4 $2,380 3. “Billy Bathgate” $3.7 1,174 2 (Touchstone) $9.2 $3,191 4. “All I Want for Christmas” $3.64 1,507 1 (Paramount) $3.64 $2,418 5. “Little Man Tate” $3.1 1,000 5 (Orion) $14.1 $3,077 * “Strictly Business” $2.45 881 1 (Warner Bros.) $2.45 $2,724

SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.