Weekend Box Office : ‘D2’ Scores in Its Opening Weekend

In autumn, 1992, Walt Disney Pictures scored a box-office surprise with its ice hockey comedy, “The Mighty Ducks,” which seemed to come from nowhere and ended up grossing $50.7 million. The Disney people then spun off the name for an Orange County-based ice hockey team and have now whipped up “D2 The Mighty Ducks,” again starring Emilio Estevez. The family film opened Friday and led the weekend box office just as schools began letting out for spring break. The beginning of spring vacations and some residual publicity heat off last week’s Oscars kept the nation’s box office active. Box-office grosses were 27% ahead of last year’s post-Academy Awards weekend. The year to date is running 9% ahead of 1993.

Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1. “D2 The Mighty Ducks” $10.3 2,182 1 (Walt Disney) $10.3 $4,746 2. “Naked Gun 33 1/3” $8 2,383 2 (Paramount) $25 $3,362 3. “The Paper” $7 1,092 2 (Universal) $7.3 $6,415 4. “Schindler’s List” $5.7 1,378 15 (Universal) $68.3 $4,135 5. “Above the Rim” $3.7 836 1 (New Line) $4.7 $4,332 6. “Guarding Tess” $3.2 1,614 3 (TriStar) $19 $1,960 7. “Monkey Trouble” 2.5 1,414 2 (New Line) $7.8 $1,741 8. “Philadelphia” $1.94 888 14 (TriStar) $66.8 $2,186 9. “Lightning Jack” $1.93 1,565 3 (Savoy) $13 $1,233 10. “Mrs. Doubtfire” $1.9 1,153 18 (20th Century Fox) $208.7 $1,640 * “The Hudsucker Proxy” $470,949 126 3 (Warner Bros.) $744,166 $3,738

* The off-beat Coen Brothers movie “The Hudsucker Proxy,” with Paul Newman, Tim Robbins and Jennifer Jason Leigh, remains in limited run and is drawing so-so attendance.

SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.