Batman Backs Down to a Lethal Weapon

The dynamic duo of Mel Gibson and Danny Glover gunned down the Caped Crusader in the box office this weekend in Warners’ “Lethal Weapon 2.” The film grossed $20.4 million in three days on 1,803 screens, for a per-screen average of $11,308. That puts it behind the 3-day opening numbers for “Batman” and “Ghostbusters II,” but ahead of the rest of the summer competition. Meanwhile, back in Gotham City, Warners delivered a one-two punch with “Batman,” which continued its box office assault with a total of $141.7 million in two weeks.

* Producer, writer, director and actor Spike Lee is continuing to “Do the Right Thing” for Universal. His controversial film, about escalating racial tension on a sultry day in Brooklyn, took in about $3 million on 361 screens over the weekend, down only 15% from its opening weekend.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE

Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average in Release 1.”Lethal Weapon 2” $20.4 1,803 1 (Warner Bros.) $20.4 $11,308 2.”Batman” $19.2 2,201 3 (Warner Bros.) $141.7 $8,745 3.”Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” $9.4 1,443 4 (Disney) $59.2 $6,537 4.”Ghostbusters II” $5.2 2,315 5 (Columbia) $85.5 $2,275 5.”Indiana Jones and the Last $5.2 1,917 7 Crusade” $158.5 $2,715 (Paramount) *”Do the Right Thing’ $2.9 361 2 (Universal) $8.8 $8,080

SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.