Universal Studios is feasting on the record $27.8 million earned by "Back to the Future Part II" in its Thanksgiving-weekend debut.
The sequel to the 1985 hit knocked another sequel out of the record books as the highest-grossing Thanksgiving release. "Rocky IV" grossed $20 million during the Friday to Sunday period in 1985.For the long holiday weekend that began Wednesday, "Back to the Future Part II" collected $43 million and set single-day admission records on Wednesday and Thursday, with grosses exceeding $7.2 million each day.
But the strong opening of the film starring Michael J. Fox failed to surpass the all-time three-day opening record, set this year by "Batman" with $42.7 million.
Total movie house revenues for autumn hit a rec-ord of $832 million, up 24 percent from last fall. Thanksgiving business for the top 10 was more than $78 million, up 50 percent from 1988.
Here are the top movies for weekend as tallied by Entertainment Data and Exhibitor Relations, with weekend gross, total gross and number of weeks in release.
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1. "Back to the Future Part II," Universal, $27.8 million ($43 million, one week).
2. "Harlem Nights," Paramount, $11.1 million, ($34.9 million, two weeks).
3. "The Little Mermaid," Disney, $8.4 million ($16.8 million, two weeks).
4. "Look Who's Talking," Tri-Star, $7.9 million, ($96.6 million, seven weeks).
5. "Steel Magnolias," Tri-Star, $7.1 million, ($15.6 million, two weeks).
6. "All Dogs Go to Heaven," MGM-UA, $5 million, ($11.2 million, two weeks).
7. "Prancer," Orion, $4.1 million, ($7.8 million, two weeks).
8. "Dad," Universal, $2.9 million, ($15.1 million, five weeks).
9. "The Bear," Tri-Star, $2.3 million, ($23.5 million, five weeks).
10. "Crimes and Misdemeanors," Orion, $1.5 million, ($13.2 million, seven weeks).