Weekend Box Office

‘Fight Club’ Comes Out Swinging

Contrary to headlines claiming it was “clubbed” at the box office, “Fight Club” defeated all rivals over the weekend.

One of the year’s most violent films, “Fight Club” opened to $11 million compared to $10.2 million for “Double Jeopardy,” now in its fourth week, and $9.7 million for the new Bruce Willis-Michelle Pfeiffer family drama, “The Story of Us.”

All three movies had to struggle with competition from televised baseball playoffs.

“Fight Club” actually opened lower than some of Pitt’s recent films like “Meet Joe Black” ($15 million), “The Devil’s Own” ($14.3 million) and “Seven” ($13.9 million).

Meanwhile, Willis, coming off the phenomenal success of “The Sixth Sense,” which already has grossed about $250 million domestically, was brought back down to Earth, as “The Story of Us” failed to crack the $10-million barrier.

*--*

Three-day gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1. “Fight Club” $11.0 1,963 1 (Fox) $11.0 $5,622 2. “Double Jeopardy” $10.2 2,936 4 (Paramount) $80.3 $3,485 3. “The Story of Us” $9.7 2,164 1 (Universal) $9.7 $4,470 4. “Three Kings” $7.3 2,942 3 (Warner Bros.) $43.7 $2,473 5. ‘American Beauty” $6.6 1,350 5 (DreamWorks) $41.2 $4,895 6. “Random Hearts” $5.7 2,697 2 (Sony/Columbia) $22.6 $2,095

*--*

*--*

Three-day gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 7. “Superstar” $5.6 2,016 2 (Paramount) $16.5 $2,786 8. “The Sixth Sense” $5.2 2,682 11 (Disney/Hollywood) $249.9 $1,924 9. “Blue Streak” $3.8 2,353 5 (Sony/Columbia) $60.7 $1,626 10. “The Omega Code” $2.4 304 1 (Providence) $2.4 $7,745 *”The Straight Story” $92,312 7 1 (Disney) $92,312 $13,187 *”That’s the Way I Like It” $8,742 3 1 (Miramax) $8,742 $2,914

*--*