Weekend Box Office : James Bond Shoots to the Top

Though MGM’s “GoldenEye” took in $2 million less than the studio had estimated, its $26-million total is the year’s third-largest three-day opening and the best in MGM history. The newest James Bond picture may gross more in its first week than the $35 million earned by its predecessor, “Licence to Kill,” during its entire run.

“The audience was evidently ready for another Bond--and a better Bond,” says Gerry Rich, MGM’s president of worldwide marketing. “For many teens and preteens, it was their first taste of the character and a chance to get into an action film that wasn’t R-rated.” For others, it was an old friend coming home.”

“The American President” also performed well considering the genre, says John Krier, president of Exhibitor Relations. “Romantic pictures, like ‘Bridges of Madison County,’ have a slower [box-office] pace than the ‘boom-boom explosions’ like Bond.”

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Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average 1. “GoldenEye” $ 26.2 2,667 (MGM) $26.2 $9,826 2. “Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls” $19.5 2,652 (Warner Bros.) $65.0 $7,357 3. “American President” $10.0 1,508 (Columbia) $11.1 $6,641 4. “It Takes Two” $5.6 1,581 (Warner Bros.) $5.6 $3,519 5. “Get Shorty” $4.3 2,103 (MGM) $56.9 $2,061 6. “Copycat” $3.0 1,643 (Warner Bros.) $23.7 $1,830 7. “Powder” $2.4 1,591 (Disney/Hollywood) $24.9 $1,516 8. “Home for the Holidays” $2.0 1,000 (Paramount) $11.3 $1,961 9. “Seven” $1.6 1,463 (New Line) $84.2 $1,122 10. “Now and Then” $1.5 1,662 (New Line) $23.9 $909

Weeks in Movie (Studio) Release 1. “GoldenEye” 1 (MGM) 2. “Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls” 2 (Warner Bros.) 3. “American President” 1 (Columbia) 4. “It Takes Two” 1 (Warner Bros.) 5. “Get Shorty” 5 (MGM) 6. “Copycat” 4 (Warner Bros.) 7. “Powder” 4 (Disney/Hollywood) 8. “Home for the Holidays” 3 (Paramount) 9. “Seven” 9 (New Line) 10. “Now and Then” 5 (New Line)

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SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.