Weekend Box Office : ‘Unforgiven’ Boosts Summer Sales

Good business across the nation on Sunday lifted earlier box-office estimates for the weekend slightly higher, and the final total for the week broke a four-week downward trend that had begun after July 4. The top-grossing movies totaled $63.7 million for the seven-day period that ended Sunday, compared to $60.9 million for the corresponding period a year ago.

Final grosses released Monday pushed the Clint Eastwood Western “Unforgiven” even higher than Sunday estimates. It rounded up $15 million and is touted by Warner Bros. as the best opening in August ever.

“Death Becomes Her” fell 35% from first to second place.

Among other new movies, the Brian De Palma thriller “Raising Cain” and Disney’s karate kid movie “3 Ninjas” came in with unspectacular but OK showings, while the box-office silence was deafening for “Whispers in the Dark.”

* “Enchanted April,” a romantic British film playing in limited run, is drawing strong per-screen ticket sales for a second week.

Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1. “Unforgiven” $15 2,071 1 (Warner Bros.) $15 $7,252 2. “Death Becomes Her” $7.8 1,454 2 (Universal) $25.7 $5,375 3. “Raising Cain” $6.2 1,661 1 (Universal) $6.2 $3,735 4. “3 Ninjas” $5.9 1,912 1 (Touchstone) $5.9 $3,080 5. “A League of Their Own” $4.2 1,988 6 (Columbia) $82.8 $2,120 6. “Mo’ Money” $3.4 1,681 3 (Columbia) $29.6 $2,036 7. “Honey, I Blew Up the Kid” $3.3 2,124 4 (Disney) $44.5 $1,545 8. “Whispers in the Dark” $3.2 1,188 1 (Paramount) $3.2 $2,674 9. “Sister Act” $2.8 1,592 11 (Touchstone) $116.6 $1,771 10. “Buffy the Vampire Killer” $2.4 1,981 2 (20th Century Fox) $9.6 $1,197 * “Enchanted April” $265,000 25 2 (Miramax) $382,260 $10,600

SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.