Weekend Box Office : ‘Unforgiven’ Boosts Summer Sales

Good business across the nation on Sunday lifted earlier box-office estimates for the weekend slightly higher, and the final total for the week broke a four-week downward trend that had begun after July 4. The top-grossing movies totaled $63.7 million for the seven-day period that ended Sunday, compared to $60.9 million for the corresponding period a year ago.

Final grosses released Monday pushed the Clint Eastwood Western “Unforgiven� even higher than Sunday estimates. It rounded up $15 million and is touted by Warner Bros. as the best opening in August ever.

“Death Becomes Her� fell 35% from first to second place.

Among other new movies, the Brian De Palma thriller “Raising Cain� and Disney’s karate kid movie “3 Ninjas� came in with unspectacular but OK showings, while the box-office silence was deafening for “Whispers in the Dark.�

* “Enchanted April,� a romantic British film playing in limited run, is drawing strong per-screen ticket sales for a second week.

Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1. “Unforgiven� $15 2,071 1 (Warner Bros.) $15 $7,252 2. “Death Becomes Her� $7.8 1,454 2 (Universal) $25.7 $5,375 3. “Raising Cain� $6.2 1,661 1 (Universal) $6.2 $3,735 4. “3 Ninjas� $5.9 1,912 1 (Touchstone) $5.9 $3,080 5. “A League of Their Own� $4.2 1,988 6 (Columbia) $82.8 $2,120 6. “Mo’ Money� $3.4 1,681 3 (Columbia) $29.6 $2,036 7. “Honey, I Blew Up the Kid� $3.3 2,124 4 (Disney) $44.5 $1,545 8. “Whispers in the Dark� $3.2 1,188 1 (Paramount) $3.2 $2,674 9. “Sister Act� $2.8 1,592 11 (Touchstone) $116.6 $1,771 10. “Buffy the Vampire Killer� $2.4 1,981 2 (20th Century Fox) $9.6 $1,197 * “Enchanted April� $265,000 25 2 (Miramax) $382,260 $10,600

SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.