TOYS Worth $100-million at the Box Office

By: Steve Biodrowski
Date: Wednesday, December 08, 1999
Source: Daily Variety

The Top 8 slots at the box office were all taken by fantasy, science fiction, and horror movies this weekend.

With $27.8-million in its sophomore outing, TOY STORY 2 was definitely #1 at the box office. The weekend take put the film's cume at $116.8-million. At this rate, the film stands a good chance of topping its predecessor's grand total of $191-million.

In second place, THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH took in another $10.7-million, bringing its total to $90.4-million. The film should match the U.S. totals of Pierce Brosnan's two previous Bond films, which surpassed $120-million.

END OF DAYS managed another $9.6-million in its second weekend, good enough for third place. That brings its total to $45.8-million. Not bad, but it remains to be seen whether the film will recoup its negative cost of $100-million without strong overseas returns.

SLEEPY HOLLOW was in fourth place with $8.8-million, brining its total to $74.1-million. The film seems like to pass the $100-million mark, making it Tim Burton's first film to do so since BATMAN RETURNS.

THE BONE COLLECTOR lagged well behind in fifth place with $3.2-million, bringing its total to $58.1-million.

In sixth and fading was POKEMON: THE FIRST MOVIE, which earned $2.3-million. With a total to date of $80.8-million, the film is one of the most successful non-Disney animated efforts ever released in the U.S., but its chances of reaching the blockbuster $100-million mark now seem slim.


In the #7 slot, DOGMA managed $2.1-million, for a total of $24.4. The art house hit has surpassed the combined grosses of writer-director Kevin Smith's previous films, including CLERKS.

Climbing up to #8 was BEING JOHN MALKOVICH. Weekend estimates had the film in 9th place, behind THE INSIDER, but the final results told a slightly different story. The film earned $1.36-million, just above INSIDER's $1.32-million, raising its total to $13.8-million.

Returning to theatres was STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE. Released for a one-week charity run, the film brought in an additional $1.29-million, edging its total gross to $429-million (although money from the re-release will go to charity).

In 12th was the box office perennial THE SIXTH SENSE, which dropped below the $1-million dollar mark for the first time since its release. The sleeper success earned $966,000, boosting its gross earnings to $273.5-million

Remaining genre films to rank on this week's box office chart are listed below. Titles are followed by a film's overall ranking, then its weekend take and box office total.

American Beauty (14) $780,219/$67.59-million
The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (18) $524,386/$13.65-million
House on Haunted Hill (20) $392,421/$39.21-million
The Omega Code (21) $322,416/$11.59-million
Fight Club (22) $233,069/$35.64-million
Princess Mononoke (25) $212,161/$1.94-million
T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous (37) $109,772/$26.32-million
Stir of Echoes (39) $98,169/$20.91-million
Siegfried and Roy: The Magic Box (41) $91,085/$1.51-million
Inspector Gadget (49) $58,830/$97.23-million
Elmo in Grouchland (51) $54,624/$11.58-million
Virtual Sexuality (56) $43,465/$43,465
Bringing Out the Dead (60) $35,190/$16.41-million