Domestic movie theaters set a box-office record for the fifth consecutive month in October, and 1993 ticket grosses are on a pace to set a record.
Last month’s returns of $350 million were boosted by the action film “Demolition Man,” the Jamaican bobsled story “Cool Runnings” and the continued success of the Harrison Ford thriller “The Fugitive.”
The year-to-date total is $4.25 billion, way ahead of 1992’s pace of $3.73 billion, according to figures tallied by the industry trade publication The Hollywood Reporter. The record, $5.1 billion, was set in 1989.
In October 1993, 67.9 million tickets were sold in North America, versus 56 million for October 1992. It was the best October since 1987, when 68.4 million tickets were sold.
Finishing first at the box office last weekend was Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” which made a strong $8.2 million. It was followed by “The Beverly Hillbillies” at $4.9 million.
“Demolition Man” was third with $4.2 million and “Cool Runnings” was fourth with $3.7 million. “Rudy” took in $3.6 million for fifth.
“Fatal Instinct,” Carl Reiner’s sendup of “Fatal Attraction” and “Basic Instinct” grossed just $3.5 million for sixth place. “Malice” made $2.9 million for seventh, “The Joy Luck Club” earned $2 million for eighth and “The Age of Innocence” was ninth with $1.5 million. “Judgment Night” made $1.4 million for 10th place.
The weekend’s top films, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Estimated ticket sales are from Friday through Sunday, with distributor, weekend gross, number of North American theater locations, average per location, total gross and number of weeks in release.
1. “The Nightmare Before Christmas” Disney, $8.2 million, 1,654 locations, $4,965 per location, $16.5 million, three weeks.
2. “The Beverly Hillbillies,” 20th Century Fox, $4.9 million, 2,148 locations, $2,292 per location, $25.4 million, three weeks.
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3. “Demolition Man,” Warner Bros., $4.2 million, 2,141 locations, $1,963 per location, $45.6 million, four weeks.
4. “Cool Runnings,” Disney, $3.7 million, 1,832 locations, $2,017 per location, $38.2 million, five weeks.
5. “Rudy” TriStar, $3.6 million, 1,465 locations, $2,460 per location, $11.2 million, three weeks.
6. “Fatal Instinct,” MGM, $3.5 million, 1,885 locations, $1,868 per location, $3.5 million, one week.
7. “Malice,” Columbia, $2.9 million, 1,519 locations, $1,912 per location, $36.7 million, five weeks.
8. “The Joy Luck Club,” Disney, $2 million, 600 locations, $3,414 per location, $21.6 million, eight weeks.
9. “The Age of Innocence,” Columbia, $1.5 million, 839 locations, $1,852 per location, $27.2 million, seven weeks.
10. “Judgment Night,” Universal, $1.4 million, 1,350 locations, $1,045 per location, $10 million, three weeks.