‘Kiss’ Is No. 1; ‘Soul Food’ Stays Strong

Paramount’s “Kiss the Girls,” starring Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd, earned $13.2 million in its opening weekend, knocking “The Peacemaker” out of the No. 1 position. “U-Turn,” the latest from Oliver Stone, debuted in 8th place with $2.7 million. “The Peacemaker” dropped to No. 3 in its second weekend, taking in $8.2 million, bringing the 10-day total for DreamWorks’ first feature to $24.2 million. Fox 2000’s “Soul Food” continues to be the surprise of the early fall. The drama about an African American family placed second with $8.4 million with a two-week gross of $22.7 million. Warner Bros.’ “L.A. Confidential” added 801 theaters and grossed $4.7 million for sixth place.

Overall, box office is up over the comparative weekend last year. “The fall has been exceptionally good,” says John Krier of Exhibitor Relations, a box-office tracking firm. “The releases have been stronger.”

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Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1. “Kiss the Girls” $13.2 2,271 1 (Paramount) $13.2 $5,819 2. “Soul Food” $8.4 1,350 2 (Fox 2000) $22.7 $6,191 3. “The Peacemaker” $8.2 2,401 2 (DreamWorks) $24.2 $3,402 4. “In & Out” $7.7 2,373 3 (Paramount) $40.8 $3,254 5. “The Edge” $5.0 2,355 2 (Fox) $15.2 $2,129 6. “L.A. Confidential” $4.7 1,625 3 (Warner Bros.) $17.8 $2,897 7. “The Game” $2.9 2,365 4 (PolyGram) $40.2 $1,231 8. “U-Turn” $2.7 1,230 1 (Sony/TriStar) $2.7 $2,220 9. “The Full Monty” $2.3 762 8 (Fox Searchlight) $17.2 $2,957 10. “Wishmaster” $1.5 1,727 3 (Live Ent.) $13.3 $892

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SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.