Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 19, 1990 TAG: 9006190103
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: HOLLYWOOD LENGTH: Medium
But a couple of Hollywood informants agreed Sunday it's unlikely the much-publicized Disney film broke any weekend debut records.
That title remains with another crimefighter from the comics, "Batman," which cleaned up $40.5 million for Warner Bros. on its first weekend last summer.
Dick Cook, president of Disney's Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, estimated a weekend box-office of between $22 million and $23 million and said "Dick Tracy" would get "double the amount of business that any other movie will do this weekend."
"Dick Tracy" opened against "Total Recall," "Back to the Future III" and "Another 48 HRS."
The week's other major opening, Warner Bros.' "Gremlins 2: The New Batch," featuring Gizmo the gremlin and his deranged cousins, may earn up to $10.3 million, according to one industry guess.
The estimates include box office from Friday through Sunday. Final figures including the actual Sunday gate were to be released today.
It appeared doubtful that "Dick Tracy" would top Arnold Schwarzenegger's "Total Recall," which earned $25 million in its opening The way it's been reviewed, and the favorable way it has been received - it is going to do extraordinarily well. Dick Cook President of Disney's Buena Vista Pictures Distribution earlier this month.
But Cook said he believes "Dick Tracy" has staying power.
"It's never where you start, it's where you end," Cook said.
"The way it's been reviewed, and the favorable way it has beenreceived - it is going to do extraordinarily well," Cook said in a telephone interview Sunday. "And there's a lot of summer left."
There also are a lot of movies yet to be released, including Tom Cruise in "Days of Thunder" and sequels to "RoboCop" and "Die Hard."
Nevertheless, Cook said "Dick Tracy" was a record opening for Disney and had all the signs of a summer winner. The movie, directed by its star, Warren Beatty, features Madonna and a thieves' den of other big-name actors. Reviews were mostly favorable.
"Dick Tracy" opened at 2,223 theaters around the nation with a new Roger Rabbit cartoon, "Rollercoaster Rabbit." Admission for midnight Thursday openings was a T-shirt, sold by theaters for as much as $20 apiece.
Disney said it will include the price of the T-shirt in its box-office gross, despite protests from others in the movie industry that it would inflate the film's numbers.
"It is part of the box office, the ticket to the event," said Cook. "It didn't amount to that much."
One source placed the T-shirt boost at $1.2 million to $1.5 million.
Cook said the opening of "Dick Tracy" outstripped Disney first weekend earnings for "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids," which took in $14.2 million last year, and "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," which took in $11 million.
"Honey" went on to earn $130 million domestically; "Roger" brought home $160 million as the hit of 1988.
by CNB