‘Private Ryan’ Leads the Field

“Saving Private Ryan” continued to dominate the box office, taking in $23.6 million over the weekend with ticket sales dropping only about 24% from the previous weekend.

“I don’t think since ‘Titanic’ has a film captured the imagination of the general public in this way,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations, a box-office tracking firm.

Debuting in second place was Disney’s remake of the family comedy “The Parent Trap,” which grossed $11.1 million, followed by “There’s Something About Mary” ($10.9 million) and “The Negotiator” ($10.2 million).

* “BASEketball,” meanwhile, was an air ball at the box office, failing to crack the Top 10 ($3.1 million), which proves that any comedy released after “There’s Something About Mary” is having a tough time competing.

Weekend Box Office

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Three-day gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1. “Saving Private Ryan” $23.6 2,540 2 (DreamWorks) $73.4 $9,292 2. “The Parent Trap” $11.1 2,247 1 (Disney) $16.2 $4,962 3. “There’s Something About Mary” $10.9 2,145 3 (Fox) $60.0 $5,087 4. “The Negotiator” $10.2 2,436 1 (Warner Bros.) $13.1 $4,195 5. “Ever After” $8.5 1,767 1 (Fox) $8.5 $4,826 6. “The Mask of Zorro” $8.3 2,515 3 (Sony/TriStar) $62.0 $3,309 7. “Lethal Weapon 4” $7.9 2,602 4 (Warner Bros.) $107.9 $2,994 8. “Armageddon” $7.6 2,491 5 (Disney/Touchstone) $163.1 $3,035 9. “Dr. Dolittle” $4.6 2,184 6 (Fox) $126.1 $2,101 10. “Mafia!” $3.7 1,944 2 (Disney/Touchstone) $13.8 $1,901 *. “BASEketball” $3.1 1,905 1 (Universal) $3.1 $1,620

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SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.