A big box-office finish: Americans spend $7.7 billion going to the movies

Monday, January 1st 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Tom Hanks and Mel Gibson headlined a big final weekend that helped propel Hollywood to another year of record revenues as Americans spent about $7.7 billion going to the movies.

Hanks' ``Cast Away'' remained the No. 1 movie for a second consecutive weekend, grossing $31.2 million from Friday to Sunday. Gibson's ``What Women Want'' came in second place again with $22.6 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

``Cast Away'' climbed to $100.8 million in just 10 days of release, while ``What Women Want'' has taken in $112 million in 17 days.

On the strength of those films and solid holdovers as ``Miss Congeniality'' and ``The Family Man,'' the industry finished 2000 with a bang. The top 12 movies grossed an estimated $128.5 million, up 24 percent from the same weekend a year ago.

The $7.7 billion figure is a 2.7 percent increase over last year's record. It was the ninth straight year that revenues climbed.

But movie attendance may have been fallen as much as 3 percent, depending on how much ticket prices rose in 2000, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations, which tracks the box office.

The National Association of Theatre Owners expects to release its annual study of ticket prices in March.

``I don't think you can expect to have record attendance every year,'' said Bruce Snyder, head of distribution for 20th Century Fox, which released ``Cast Away. ``But this was still a very, very good year.''

It was a tough year for theater owners burdened by debt from a construction boom to build cinema complexes with better sound, seating and other amenities. The number of U.S. movie screens has climbed to about 37,000, up roughly 50 percent since 1990.

Although attendance was down in 2000, the record revenues were significant considering that studios had a relatively weak summer, a time that typically accounts for about 40 percent of Hollywood's box office.

``Remember the Titans'' and ``Meet the Parents'' rekindled box office excitement in the fall, then ``Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas'' kicked off a phenomenal holiday season the weekend before Thanksgiving. ``The Grinch'' quickly became the year's top-grossing film, raking in $252.5 million so far.

``We're lucky to have a record, looking at the roller coaster ride the year 2000 was in terms of box office,'' Dergarabedian said. ``This late-year rally put us over the top. Summer just came sort of late this year.''

Among new movies in limited release, Steven Soderbergh's acclaimed drug-war drama ``Traffic'' averaged a whopping $45,383 a theater in four cinemas, compared with a $10,651 average in 2,929 locations for ``Cast Away.'' ``Traffic'' has grossed $303,000 since debuting Wednesday.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures are to be released Tuesday.

1. ``Cast Away,'' $31.2 million.

2. ``What Women Want,'' $22.6 million.

3. ``Miss Congeniality,'' $15.5 million.

4. ``The Family Man,'' $14 million.

5. ``The Emperor's New Groove,'' $11.8 million.

6. ``Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas,'' $7.8 million.

7. ``Vertical Limit,'' $6 million.

8. ``Wes Craven Presents: Dracula 2000,'' $5.3 million.

9. ``Dude, Where's My Car?'', $4.6 million.

10. ``Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,'' $3.6 million.