Weekend Box Office : ‘League’s’ Second Inning Is a Winner

Just in time for the All-Star Game, Columbia Pictures’ baseball comedy “A League of Their Own” outhit the competition in its second week to climb into first place at the box office. The film about women ballplayers starring Geena Davis, Tom Hanks and Madonna had opened strong the previous weekend only to be edged out by “Batman Returns.” But Gotham’s Caped Crusader, Catwoman and Penguin couldn’t keep the Warner Bros. sequel from dropping to fourth place. In a one-two punch for Sony Pictures Entertainment--parent company of Columbia and TriStar--TriStar’s “Universal Soldier” opened strongly over the weekend for second place. The Eddie Murphy comedy “Boomerang,” in its second week, held on to third place, while “Sister Act” was fifth.

* “The Hairdresser’s Husband,” a French film about a child who fantasizes about his hairdresser and grows up and marries one, opened at five theaters in Los Angeles and continued its fourth week in New York, bringing in a respectable $53,531.

SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.

Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1. “A League of Their Own” $11.7 2,060 2 (Columbia) $38.9 $5,660 2. “Universal Soldier” $10.1 1,916 1 (TriStar) $10.1 $5,249 3. “Boomerang” $9.3 2,145 2 (Paramount) $36.4 $4,327 4. “Batman Returns” $7.7 2,644 4 (Warner Bros.) $137.5 $2,921 5. “Sister Act” $6.2 1,984 7 (Touchstone) $89.2 $3,142 6. “Cool World” $5.6 1,448 1 (Paramount) $5.6 $3,837 7. “Prelude to a Kiss” $5.3 1,247 1 (Fox) $5.3 $4,229 8. “Unlawful Entry” $5.3 1,514 3 (Fox) $30.6 $3,470 9. “Housesitter” $3.3 1,660 5 (Universal) $42.9 $1,975 10. “Patriot Games” $2.7 1,456 6 (Paramount) $70.0 $1,875 * “The Hairdresser’s Husband” $53,531 6 1 (Triton Pictures) $53,531 $8,921