‘Liar Liar’ Moves Toward $100 Million--No Fooling

“Liar Liar” beat the Val Kilmer thriller “The Saint” at the weekend box office and trounced other star vehicles on its way to breaking the $100-million mark, according to industry estimates Sunday.

The Jim Carrey comedy had $18.5 million in ticket sales in its third week, while “The Saint” opened with about $16.2 million. That film, starring Kilmer as a world-class thief trying to rescue scientist Elisabeth Shue, got mixed reviews but was heavily hyped.

“Liar Liar,” which had the best March opening ever, earned $100.9 million in just three weeks. It has managed to beat out a slate of other comedies and even highly promoted films like Harrison Ford’s “The Devil’s Own,” which placed third with an estimated $7.4-million gross, according to Exhibitor Relations Co.

Universal knew that “Liar Liar” would be big, but “I don’t think anybody could have expected it to have such a tremendous run . . . , “ said Allen Sutton, senior vice president of distribution and marketing.

“The records for reaching $100 million were set during the summer season, when you have kids out of school and moviegoing is an around-the-clock activity,” Sutton said. “To achieve it in such a short time at this time of year is certainly unheard of.”

The film stars Carrey as a slick lawyer whose son’s birthday wish makes him unable to lie for 24 hours.

Sutton said the figures indicate that people are seeing the film over and over.

Three other debut films made it into the Top 10.

“That Old Feeling,” starring Bette Midler as a divorcee thrown together with her ex-husband at their daughter’s wedding, was in fourth place with $5.2 million, followed by “Double Team,” a Jean-Claude Van Damme/Dennis Rodman action thriller, with $5 million.

“Inventing the Abbotts,” a 1950s coming-of-age tale starring Liv Tyler, grossed $2.4 million for the No. 10 spot.