WEEKEND BOX OFFICE : ‘Rain’ Leads Slow Weekend at the Movies

Box-office receipts for the nation’s Top-5 films dropped 21% from last weekend, as Tri-Star’s new release “Johnny Handsome” failed to attract big audiences. The Mickey Rourke thriller debuted on 812 screens for $2.4 million, a per-screen average of $3,002. Paramount’s “Black Rain” grossed $6.5 million, falling 33% since its smash opening, to lead the box office for the second weekend in a row. Universal’s “Sea of Love” remained in the No. 2 spot, recording tickets sales of $6.1 million--a strong $4,655 per screen--and increasing its total take to $30 million.

* Columbia’s “Welcome Home” joined Warners’ “In Country” this weekend as the second post-Vietnam drama in three weeks. “Welcome Home,” directed by the late Franklin Schaffner and starring Kris Kristofferson, received a cool reception on 192 screens, grossing $442,240 for a per-screen average of just $2,303. Director Norman Jewison’s “In Country,” starring Bruce Willis and Emily Lloyd, expanded from 4 to 606 screens and took in $1.4 million.

Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average in Release 1.”Black Rain” $6.5 1,610 2 (Paramount) $19.2 $4,039 2.”Sea of Love” $6.1 1,323 3 (Universal) $30 $4,655 3.”Uncle Buck” $2.7 1,710 7 (Universal) $53.2 $1,580 4.”Parenthood” $2.6 1,384 9 (Universal) $81.7 $1,900 5.”Johnny Handsome” $2.4 812 1 (Tri-Star) $2.4 $3,002 *”Welcome Home” $442,240 192 1 (Columbia) $442,240 $2,303

SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.