Weekend Box Office : ‘Waterworld’ Off to Splashy Start

Box-office receipts this weekend were down about 15% compared with last year and Universal Pictures’ “Waterworld” did not break records at the box office in the way that it broke records for production costs (at an estimated $175 million). But it was still a good debut for the much-written-about picture, which opened at $21.2 million and stars Kevin Costner.

“For a July-August opening movie, it’s not bad at all,” said one industry observer. “It ranks right up there. It’s not the biggest, but it’s certainly no slouch.”

Industry observers speculate that “Waterworld” will likely rank as the sixth- or seventh-highest opening film of the year. However, it was not the highest opening film starring Kevin Costner. That honor fell to “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves,” which opened in June, 1991, at $25.6 million.

Columbia Pictures’ “The Net,” a thriller starring Sandra Bullock, also performed impressively. And attesting to the public’s appetite for family entertainment, Disney’s “Operation Dumbo Drop” opened healthily as well, coming in sixth.

Five-Day Gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1. “Waterworld” $21.2 2,268 1 (Universal) $21.2 $9,335 2. “The Net” $10.0 1,906 1 (Sony/Columbia) $10.0 $5,266 3. “Apollo 13” $9.2 2,347 5 (Universal) $127.0 $3,930 4. “Clueless” $7.0 1,922 2 (Paramount) $30.1 $3,653 5. “Nine Months” $6.5 1,795 3 (Fox) $44.3 $3,634 6. “Operation Dumbo Drop” $6.4 2,145 1 (Walt Disney) $6.4 $2,980 7. “Under Siege 2” $4.8 2,150 3 (Warner Bros.) $36.5 $2,249 8. “Free Willy 2” $4.6 2,301 2 (Warner Bros.) $18.6 $2,011 9. “Pocahontas” $3.7 1,693 7 (Walt Disney) $124.9 $2,159 10. “Species” $3.5 1,942 4 (MGM) $53.1 $1,806

SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.