HOLLYWOOD, July 21 -- Columbia's aliens-on-Earth satire, 'Men in Black,' fought off the openings of a slapstick movie for kids and a buddy comedy to lead the U.S. box office for the third week in a row. 'MIB' took in another $19 million at 3,102 U.S. screens from Friday to Sunday to push its total gross to $172.1 million.
Disney's 'George of the Jungle' bowed in second place with $16.5 million at 2,506 theaters for the weekend. Its total since opening Wednesday is nearly $22.9 million. Warner Bros.' 'Contact' with Jodie Foster drew $16.1 million at 2, 194 theaters for third place and a two-week total of $47.4 million. Disney's 'Nothing to Lose,' teaming Martin Lawrence as a thief and Tim Robbins as a victim who's not in the mood, opened with $11.6 million at 1,862 screens. It was followed by the fourth weekend of Paramount's 'Face/Off,' with $8.9 million at 2,851 theaters for a new total of $86.3 million. TriStar's 'My Best Friend's Wedding' was sixth with $6.5 million at 2,376 theaters for a five-week total of $94.7 million. Disney's 'Hercules' rang up nearly $5.2 million at 2,541 screens for $76.7 million after five weeks. Jackie Chan's latest stunt-packed martial arts movie, 'Operation Condor,' opened for Miramax in eighth place with $4.7 million at 1,532 theaters. 20th Century Fox's 'Out to Sea' sold $3.1 million at 1,633 theaters for a three-week total od $20.1 million. Warner's 'Batman & Robin' faded to 10th with under $1.8 million at 1,916 screens in its fifth weekend. It topped the $100 million mark last week, finishing the weekend with $102.8 million. ---
Copyright 1997 by United Press International. All rights reserved.
