Weekend Box Office

Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1. “Backdraft” $9.1 1,859 2 (Universal) $28.2 $4,905 2. “Soapdish” $6.7 1,275 1 (Paramount) $6.7 $5,283 3. “What About Bob?” $6.4 1,662 3 (Touchstone) $32.1 $3,865 4. “Thelma & Louise” $4.1 1,180 2 (MGM) $11.9 $3,526 5. “Only the Lonely” $3.6 1,553 2 (Fox) $10.8 $2,331 * “Hudson Hawk” $3.1 2,072 2 (Fox) $11.6 $1,515

Early Surge Cools Off for ‘Backdraft’

The $39-million “Backdraft” subsided in theaters over the weekend, grossing $9.1 million in ticket sales, which was still enough to lead a summer box-office race that cooled off considerably after a near-record Memorial Day weekend. Despite slipping 28% in its second week of release, “Backdraft,” starring Kurt Russell and William Baldwin, has grossed a total of $28.2 million.

Strong reviews helped Sally Field’s “Soapdish,” the weekend’s only new release, take the No. 2 spot. The soap opera satire grossed $6.7 million for the weekend’s best per-screen average of $5,283--low by summer-movie standards. The therapy comedy “What About Bob?,” with Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss, dropped a notch from last week to No. 3 with $6.4 million. Of the major releases, “Thelma & Louise” held up strongest over the slow weekend, grossing $4.1 million and moving up a spot to No. 4.

* Bruce Willis’ pet project “Hudson Hawk” nose-dived 48%, finishing No. 6 after a weekend take of $3.1 million, which should remove the $50-million-plus film from the summer box-office chase. In two weeks, “Hawk” has grossed a disappointing $11.6 million on 2,072 screens--more screens than any other film in release.

SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.