HOLLYWOOD, Aug. 22 -- The third weekend of 'The Sixth Sense' dominated the nation's box office with an estimated $24.1 million at 2, 688 theaters during the Friday-Sunday period, studio sources said Sunday. Disney's horror-thriller has grossed an impressive $107.7 million in 17 days and continued to keep the overall business healthy during the waning weeks of the summer season. Studio executives believe 'Sense,' now the 13th film released this year to top $100 million, could have enough momentum to join the 26 other movies that have gone past $200 million. 'Sixth Sense' has benefited from the strong appetite for horror films, repeat viewership and a straightforward marketing campaign with the lead character's tagline 'I see dead people.' With only a 6 percent drop from last weekend, it will likely top the box office again next weekend. Universal's second weekend of 'Bowfinger' finished a distant second with $10.7 million at 2,717 theaters as the comedy lost 41 percent of its audience. It edged Warner Bros.' opening of 'Mickey Blue Eyes' with a respectable $10.4 million at 2,573 sites but the romantic comedy may have been held down by being the summer's second Hugh Grant project after 'Notting Hill.' Paramount's fourth weekend of 'Runaway Bride,' the last film to finish first prior to 'Sixth Sense,' came in fourth with $9.4 million at 3,240 theaters to go past $113 million overall. A pair of holdovers fought for fifth with MGM's third weekend of 'The Thomas Crown Affair' in the lead with $7 million at 2,427 screens, followed by Artisan's sixth weekend of 'The Blair Witch Project' with $6.9 million at 2,538 locations.
'Blair,' which has stunned Hollywood with its $35,000 production cost, has topped $120 million. Sony's opening of 'Universal Soldier: The Return,' starring Jean- Claude Van Damme, failed to generate much heat in seventh with $4.7 million at 1,639 theaters and will fall far short of the $36 million total taken in by the 1992 original. Disney's fifth weekend of 'Inspector Gadget' followed with $4.3 million at 2,144 theaters to edge Warner's fourth weekend of 'Deep Blue Sea' with $4.28 million at 2,246 sites. Miramax's opening of comedy-thriller 'Teaching Mrs. Tingle' was nearly dead on arrival in 10th with $3.3 million at 1,710 theaters as moviegoers mostly shunned the tale of high school students seeking revenge on a tyrannical teacher. Universal's third weekend of 'Mystery Men' finished 11th with $2.6 million at 1,954 screens, followed by Warner's third weekend of 'Iron Giant' with $2.4 million at 1,943 sites and Universal's seventh weekend of 'American Pie' with $2 million at 1,118 theaters. Overall business totaled $103 million, a solid performance for the late summer and up 9 percent from the same weekend last year. ---
Copyright 1999 by United Press International. All rights reserved. ---
