Date: 25th September 2000

Another Slow Week At Box Office


Although the box office rose from its dismal showing last week, the top 12 films together generated just $72 million, more than 30 percent below the same weekend a year ago, when it tallied $107 million. "The Olympics are still drawing away a lot of the audience,'' entertainment analyst Art Rockwell told Bloomberg News. "The studios tend to shy away from releasing any major products."

The Hollywood Reporter's box office analyst Brian Fuson commented: "
While there was plenty of blood on the screen in the weekend's top films, the real bloodletting is befalling exhibitors and distributors."

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations:

1. Urban Legends: Final Cut, $8.8 million; 2. The Exorcist, $8.5 million; 3. Almost Famous, $7 million; 4. Bring It On, $4.2 million; 5. The Watcher, $3.6 million; 6. Bait, $3.4 million; 7. Nurse Betty, $3.3 million; 8. Space Cowboys, $2.2 million; 8. (tie) What Lies Beneath, $2.2 million; 10. Woman on Top, $1.9 million.

Source: Studio Briefing