Weekend Box Office : ‘Gump’ Is King of the Year--for Now

The weekend’s moviegoing pushed Paramount Pictures’ “Forrest Gump” past Walt Disney Pictures’ “The Lion King” to make it the year’s biggest box-office hit. “Gump,” starring Tom Hanks, has thus far grossed $269.7 million, to the “King’s” $267 million. However, the Disney animated movie will come back to theaters during the holiday season and is expected to regain the lead. The “Gump” total also makes it the fifth highest-grossing domestic release in history.

* In a strong debut, “Ed Wood,” with Johnny Depp in the title role of the eccentric ‘50s movie director, pulled in $71,000 from only two theaters in New York and Los Angeles.

Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1.”The River Wild” $10.2 2,074 1 (Universal) $10.2 4,925 2.”Timecop” $5.4 2.274 3 (Universal) $31.5 $2,395 3.”Jason’s Lyric” $5.1 804 1 (Gramercy) $6.3 $6,371 4.”Forrest Gump” $4.3 2,360 13 (Paramount) $269.7 $1,851 5.”Quiz Show” $3.4 439 3 (Disney/Hollywood) $8.4 $7,665 6.”Terminal Velocity” $3.4 1,797 2 (Disney/Hollywood) $10.5 $1,838 7.”Clear and Present Danger” $2 1,490 9 (Paramount) $115.7 $1,344 8.”The Scout” $1.5 1,585 1 (20th Century Fox) $1.5 $920 9.”The Mask” $1.2 1,360 10 (New Line) $110.2 $922 10.”Natural Born Killers” $1.2 1,212 6 (Warner Bros.) $44.7 $1,022 *”Ed Wood” $71,566 2 1 (Disney/Touchstone) $71,566 $35,783

SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.