‘Kiss the Girls’ Leads a Surge in Thrillers at the Box Office

Paramount Pictures’ new suspense thriller “Kiss the Girls” and 20th Century Fox’s family drama “Soul Food” topped the weekend movie box office, dumping “The Peacemaker” from the No. 1 spot after just one week, according to industry estimates Sunday.

The estimated $13.4-million opening gross of “Kiss the Girls” exceeded expectations and reflects that thrillers “are the flavor of the fall period,” said industry analyst Robert Bucksbaum. The film, based on James Patterson’s bestseller, stars Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd.

Half of the films in the Top 10 are thrillers, including director Oliver Stone’s “U-Turn,” which opened in ninth place with $2.7 million in ticket sales.

The low-budget “Soul Food,” with a gross of $8.5 million, finished second, edging out “The Peacemaker,” with $8.4 million. The African American-themed drama about an extended Chicago family earned $6,130 per screen, beating the $5,900 average for “Kiss the Girls” and the $3,500 average for DreamWorks SKG’s “The Peacemaker.”

“It’s like the dream of every studio: make a movie that doesn’t cost a lot of money and the public really likes it a lot and keeps coming back,” said Tom Sherak, chairman of 20th Century Fox Film Group.

Rounding out the Top 10: Paramount’s “In & Out,” fourth, with $8 million; Fox’s “The Edge,” $5.2 million; Warner Bros.’ “L.A. Confidential,” $5 million; PolyGram Films’ “The Game,” $2.9 million; Fox Searchlight’s “The Full Monty,” $2.8 million; Stone’s “U-Turn,” from TriStar Pictures, $2.7 million; and Gramercy Pictures’ “The Matchmaker,” $1.5 million.

The weekend figures are compiled from studio estimates for Friday through Sunday; final figures will be released today.