Weekend Box Office : ‘Hand’ Keeps Strong Grip on Top Spot

“The Hand that Rocks the Cradle,” the suspense thriller starring Rebecca De Mornay, keeps rolling at the national box office. The movie from Disney’s Hollywood Pictures division claimed the top spot for a second weekend, according to final figures released on Tuesday. Today’s weekend tallies for all films are larger than the usual Friday-Saturday-Sunday numbers, because they include additonal grosses for Monday’s Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

“Juice” debuted to good numbers amid advance news media attention to its print and TV ad campaign. There were scattered violent incidents around the nation at some theaters--a number of persons were injured, one was killed and another remains paralyzed from shootings.

Among the Christmas holdovers, the big-grossing “Hook” continues to show box-office legs by hanging on in third place, just shy of the magical $100 million mark. Likewise, “Beauty and the Beast” is nearing $100 million.

Lawrence Kasdan’s Los Angeles-based melodrama “Grand Canyon” and Oliver Stone’s “JFK” added screens and played to strong business.

* Despite the praise of critics and the recent Golden Globe award for best dramatic picture, “Bugsy,” starring Warren Beatty, appears to be losing box-office steam, falling to 11th place in its sixth week.

Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1. “Hand That Rocks the Cradle” $11.8 1,667 2 (Hollywood) $21.9 $7,100 2. “Juice” $8.1 1089 1 (Paramount) $8.1 $7,425 3. “Hook” $6.85 2,077 6 (TriStar) $99 $3,300 4. “Freejack” $6.7 1,551 1 (Warner Bros.) $6.7 $4,343 5. “Father of the Bride” $6.4 1,689 5 (Touchstone) $59.1 $3,791 6. “The Prince of Tides” $6 1,525 4 (Columbia) $47.8 $3,941 7. “Grand Canyon” $6 803 4 (Fox) $10.9 $7,472 8. “JFK” $5.8 1,350 5 (Warner Bros.) $45,5 $4,295 9. “Beauty and the Beast” $5.3 1,805 10 (Disney) $95.2 $2,923 10. “Kuffs” $4.36 1,432 2 (Universal) $11.2 $3,050 * “Bugsy” $3 1,173 6 (TriStar) $34.2 $2,573

SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.