First Box-Office Falloff of ’96

Box office was down over the corresponding period last year for the first time in 22 weeks. “Warmer weather back East may have caused people to desert the theaters,” said John Krier, president of Exhibitor Relations. “In general, the openings were soft. The only one to perform well was ‘The Substitute’--an urban social drama that, like ‘Dangerous Minds,’ tapped into the youth audience. Since there’s no strong star value, that was a bit of a surprise.”

The movie, the tale of a mercenary soldier (Tom Berenger) called in to clean up a drug-infested city school, was the first 1996 release from Orion Pictures--a once-thriving mini-major rescued from bankruptcy when it became part of the Metromedia International Group late last year. “The movie has done very well in urban areas, particularly with Afro-Americans and Hispanics,” said Bob Berney, vice president of marketing for Orion. “Since the trailer and TV spot emphasized drama over action, the movie also expanded into the dating crowd.”

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Weekend Box Office

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Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average 1.”Primal Fear” $6.6 1,983 (Paramount) $33.1 $3,321 2.”The Substitute” $6.0 1,740 (Orion) $6.0 $3,453 3.”James and the Giant Peach $5.3 2,268 (Walt Disney) $14.8 $2,323 4.”The Birdcage” $4.7 2,202 (MGM/UA) $104.5 $2,152 5.”Fear” $3.92 1,615 (Universal) $12.2 $2,430 6.”Mrs. Winterbourne” $3.87 1,612 (TriStar) $3.87 $2,403 7.”Celtic Pride” $3.80 1,832 (Disney/Hollywood) $3.80 $2,079 8.”A Thin Line Between Love & Hate” $3.5 1,131 (New Line) $26.3 $3,099 9.”Sgt. Bilko” $2.2 2,190 (Universal) $26.3 $1,015 10.”Flirting With Disaster $2.0 969 (Miramax) $9.4 $2,094

Weeks in Movie (Studio) Release 1.”Primal Fear” 3 (Paramount) 2.”The Substitute” 1 (Orion) 3.”James and the Giant Peach 2 (Walt Disney) 4.”The Birdcage” 7 (MGM/UA) 5.”Fear” 2 (Universal) 6.”Mrs. Winterbourne” 1 (TriStar) 7.”Celtic Pride” 1 (Disney/Hollywood) 8.”A Thin Line Between Love & Hate” 3 (New Line) 9.”Sgt. Bilko” 4 (Universal) 10.”Flirting With Disaster 5 (Miramax)

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SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.