Weekend Box Office : Here Come the First Hits of 1993

After weeks during which Christmas-season movies dominated the Top 10, the first hits of 1993 are emerging. “National Lampoon’s Loaded Weapon 1,” starring Emilio Estevez and Samuel L. Jackson, had a strong opening round. Likewise, the Civil War period romance “Sommersby,” which bills two of the screen’s hottest personalities, Richard Gere and Jodie Foster. The two new films pushed the mega-hit “Aladdin” out of the No. 1 slot.

Also opening, but to unremarkable numbers in fourth place, was the psychological thriller “The Vanishing” with Kiefer Sutherland.

* Still packing in business after 11 weeks in its fairly limited run of 217 screens is “The Crying Game,” with a gross of $1.1 million. On 449 screens, “Lorenzo’s Oil” managed only $666,000.

Weekend Box Office

Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1. “Loaded Weapon 1” $9.2 1,989 1 (New Line) $9.2 $4,626 2. “Sommersby” $8.1 1,432 1 (Warner Bros.) $8.1 $5,660 3. “Aladdin” $7.7 2,109 13 (Walt Disney) $165.3 $3,645 4. “The Vanishing” $5 1,656 1 (Fox) $5 $3,025 5. “A Few Good Men” $4 1,732 9 (Columbia) $120 $2,310 6. “Scent of a Woman” $3.8 1,252 7 (Universal) $34 $3,040 7. “Sniper” $3.6 1,553 2 (TriStar) $11.5 $2,335 8. “Alive” $3.3 1,277 4 (Touchstone) $26.4 $2,610 9. “Matinee” $2.2 1,144 2 (Universal) $6.5 $1,975 10. “Used People” $2.1 889 8 (Fox) $14.6 $2,380 * “The Crying Game” $1.1 217 11 (Miramax) $13.8 $5,200

SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.