‘Star Wars’ Wins Dust-Up With ‘Dante’s Peak’

It its second week of re-release, “Star Wars” held its ground against the volcano disaster film “Dante’s Peak” to place first at the box office over the weekend with $22.7 million in ticket sales, according to industry estimates Sunday.

“Dante’s Peak” grossed $18.6 million. “The Beautician and the Beast,” a new comedy starring TV star Fran Drescher of “The Nanny,” opened in third place with $4 million, according to estimates by Exhibitor Relations Co.

The only other debut was “The Pest,” a comedy starring John Leguizamo that finished out of the Top 10. (Please see review, F4).

With a total gross of nearly $392 million, the 20-year-old “Star Wars” is within striking distance of the all-time domestic bestseller, 1982’s “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” with $399.8 million.

Even though it didn’t beat “Star Wars,” “Dante’s Peak” had the best February opening ever, beating “Wayne’s World,” which took in $18.1 million over the four-day Presidents Day holiday in 1992.

“Dante’s Peak” stars Pierce Brosnan as a scientist and Linda Hamilton as the mayor of a small town threatened by a volcano. It got to the screen ahead of the upcoming “Volcano,” starring Tommy Lee Jones and set in L.A. “Dante’s Peak,” which reportedly cost $100 million-plus, is the latest in a string of simple-minded thrill rides that some critics blame “Star Wars” for making fashionable.

But big-budget action flicks have been a mixed bag lately. Last year’s “Twister” and “Independence Day” were blockbusters while Sylvester Stallone’s “Daylight” took in disappointing grosses.

The release of “Star Wars” and “Dante’s Peak” is further proof that the old Hollywood system of seasonal releases--”event” films in summer and smaller, more thoughtful films in the winter doldrums--is over. “Moviegoing is a 52-week-a-year proposition and audiences aren’t just sitting back and waiting for the summer and the holiday season for the pictures that really capture their imagination,” said Alan Sutton, vice president of publicity for Universal Pictures.

Rounding out the estimated Top 10 were “Jerry Maguire,” in fourth place with $3.6 million; “Scream,” in fifth with $3.5 million; “Evita,” sixth with $3 million; “Metro,” seventh with $2.4 million; “The English Patient,” eighth with $2.2 million; “Beverly Hills Ninja,” ninth with $2.1 million and “In Love and War,” 10th with $1.9 million. Final weekend box-office figures are to be released today.