Weekend Box Office : ‘Sniper’ Takes Aim at ‘Aladdin’

Even a genie couldn’t have helped the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVII, but he continues to boost the fortunes of Walt Disney Studios. While many stayed at home to watch the Cowboys crush the Bills 52-17, Disney’s animated movie “Aladdin” remained the box-office leader, pulling in a strong $6.2 million for a total of $156 million after 12 weeks.

“Sniper,” a TriStar film about Marine sniper-killers hired to eliminate a Colombian drug czar and a phony Panamanian political leader, was the highest-grossing new release with $5.7 million.

* The continued success of its small films in limited release kept Miramax on a roll, with “Enchanted April” grossing $12.4 million to date, “The Crying Game” $12.3 million, “Reservoir Dogs” $2.3 million and “Passion Fish” $453,513.

Weekend Box Office

Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1. “Aladdin” $6.2 2,214 12 (Disney) $156 $2,855 2. “Sniper” $5.7 1,551 1 (TriStar) $5.7 $3,685 3. “Scent of a Woman” $4.1 1,252 6 (Universal) $28.7 $3,300 4. “A Few Good Men” $3.9 2,056 8 (Columbia) $114.6 $1,902 5. “Alive” $3.8 1,337 3 (Disney) $21.7 $2,849 6. “Matinee” $3.6 1,143 1 (Universal) $3.6 $3,150 7. “Used People” $2.9 915 7 (Fox) $11.4 $3,218 8. “Children of the Corn II” $2.7 946 1 (Miramax) $2.7 $2,875 9. “Nowhere to Run” $2.3 1,776 3 (Columbia) $17 $1,301 10. “The Bodyguard” $2.2 1,413 10 (Studio) $109.2 $1,525 * “Passion Fish” $155,914 19 9 (Studio) $453,513 $8,206

SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.