Weekend Box Office : ‘Shorty’ Stands Tall in Ticket Sales

MGM owns October. Last October, the scrappy studio had a hit with “Stargate,” which went on to make $73 million. This year, it’s “Get Shorty,” which grossed $12.7 million its opening weekend. MGM marketing chief Gerry Rich and distribution chief Larry Gleason credit the star power of John Travolta as well as counter-programming for the movie’s success, saying audiences were waiting for a comedy like “Get Shorty” after a string of dark dramas such as “Seven,” “Assassins” and “Jade.”

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Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1.”Get Shorty” $12.7 1,612 1 (MGM) $12.7 $7,878 2.”Now and Then” $7.4 1,572 1 (New Line) $7.4 $4,733 3.”Seven” $7.1 2,528 5 (New Line) $67.5 $2,817 4.”Assassins” $3.4 2,208 3 (Warner Bros.) $23.8 $1,561 5.”Never Talk to Strangers” $2.9 1,510 1 (TriStar) $2.9 $1,9231 6.”How to Make an American Quilt” $2.6 1,532 3 (Universal) $16.4 $1,720 7.”Dead Presidents” $2.5 998 3 (Disney/Hollywood) $19.1 $2,577 8.”Jade” $2.2 2,164 2 (Paramount) $7.8 $1,004 9.”To Die For” $2.03 954 4 (Columbia) $15.9 $2,135 10.”The Scarlet Letter” $2 1,518 2 (Disney/Hollywood) $7.4 $1,321

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SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.