‘Independence’ Crushes Competition

“Independence Day’s” record-breaking 6 1/2-day run to the $100-million mark caused hefty box-office drops for action films such as “Twister,” “Mission: Impossible,” “Eraser” and “The Rock.” Universal’s “The Nutty Professor,” starring Eddie Murphy, fared better, dropping only a third from its debut weekend.

Murphy’s last blockbuster, 1988’s “Coming to America,” reached $60 million in 18 days (on its way to an eventual $128-million domestic gross). “Nutty Professor” has nearly hit that figure in 10 days.

“It’s a really funny movie that has benefited from the fact that there isn’t a lot of comic competition out there,” said Casey Silver, chairman of the MCA Motion Picture Group. “The series of roles played by Eddie showcases a greater breadth of talent than we have seen from anyone--including him--for awhile. And since Universal gets 50% of the pot from ‘Twister,’ which we distribute abroad, this summer has been a great one for us.”

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Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1. “Independence Day” $50.2 2,882 1 (Fox) $96.1 $17,428 2. “Nutty Professor” $17.5 2,138 2 (Universal) $59.8 $8,180 3. “Phenomenon” $16.2 1,637 1 (Disney/Touchstone) $24.5 $9,871 4. “Hunchback of Notre Dame” $8.9 2,835 3 (Walt Disney) $65.1 $3,137 5. “Eraser” $8.8 2,556 3 (Warner Bros.) $70.9 $3,439 6. “The Rock” $6.4 2,137 5 (Disney/Hollywood) $110..3 $2,988 7. “Striptease” $4.8 1,979 2 (Columbia) $22.4 $2,434 8. “Twister” $2.7 1,877 9 (Warner Bros.) $225.1 $1,460 9. “Mission: Impossible” $2.3 1,747 7 (Paramount) $169.0 $1,997 10. “Cable Guy” $1.7 2,042 4 (Columbia) $54.4 $835

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SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.