The Box Office Story’s Still About ‘Toy 2’

Everyone’s favorite talking toys dominated the box office for a second consecutive weekend as “Toy Story 2” took in $28.3 million, according to estimates Sunday.

With no major new movies, box office revenues shaped up mostly the same as a week ago. The James Bond film “The World Is Not Enough” was second with $10.6 million, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “End of Days” was third with $9.7 million and Tim Burton’s horror detective film, “Sleepy Hollow,” was fourth with $9 million.

“Toy Story 2,” produced by Disney and Pixar, has grossed $117.3 million in 12 days of release.

The movie passed the $100-million mark Saturday. That tied Disney’s personal best for “The Lion King,” which reached that mark in 11 days in 1994 and went on to become the studio’s top-grossing film ever with $312 million.

“We are just on cloud nine,” said Rod Rodriguez, senior vice president and general sales manager for Disney’s film group. “It did everything we expected and were hoping for.”

“Toy Story 2” maintained an impressive per-screen average of $8,740 in 3,238 theaters.

The animated sequel, with Tom Hanks and Tim Allen reprising the voices of talking toys Woody the sheriff and space ranger Buzz Lightyear, broke the Thanksgiving box-office record with $80.1 million in just five days.

After a barrage of blockbusters the last two weeks, studios took a post-Thanksgiving breather, putting out only a handful of new movies in limited release. A Christmas rush of big films and Oscar hopefuls begins next weekend with the opening of Hanks’ Death Row drama, “The Green Mile.”

“This is sort of the calm after the storm and before the storm, before the next onslaught of holiday films,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc., which tracks ticket sales.

Two new movies scored big playing in just a few theaters. Woody Allen’s “Sweet and Lowdown” took in $102,000 on three screens in New York City, averaging $34,000 a theater.

Neil Jordan’s “The End of the Affair,” a cerebral tale of adultery and obsession, grossed $203,000 on seven screens in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto and San Francisco, averaging $29,000 a theater.

“Holy Smoke” from director Jane Campion began a one-week Oscar run, taking in $32,000 in two theaters in New York and L.A.