Stuart Little Makes It Big

files/pictures/picture-35.jpgSTUART LITTLE had big shoes to fill to make it to the top of the U.S. box

office this past weekend. The Sony flick, with primary f-ex by Sony

Pictures Imageworks, additional animation done by CFX and Rhythm & Hues,

and miniatures done by Thunderstone, knocked off TOY STORY to finish atop

the bo with a gross totaling US$15.02 million. THE GREEN MILE kept pace and

walked in second place with a gross of $12.68 million and a cume of $36.7

million. TOY STORY 2 slipped to third with a gross of $12.13 million making

its total $156.4 million. With the top spot in the box office going to

kid-friendly flicks for the last three weeks, parents might be re-defining

the location of family time away from the sin box and taking their quality

time money to the local theatre. To strengthen this point, family flick THE

BICENTENNIAL MAN, with visual effects by Dream Quest Images, finished at #5

with a gross of $8.23 million in this its first weekend in release. The #7

spot went to THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH, with primary visual effects by

Digital Film, Cinesite London, and Magic Camera, with a gross of $4.01

million and a cume of $105.4 million. The #8 spot went to END OF DAYS, with

primary visual-effects by Rhythm & Hues, miniature effects by Sturber

Visual Concepts, and miniature photography by Chandler Group, with a gross

of $3.05 million and a cume of $57.9 million. The #9 spot went to SLEEPY

HOLLOW, with primary visual effects by Industrial Light & Magic and

additional effects by CFC London, with a gross of $3 million and a cume of

$85.9 million. Kevin Smith's DOGMA, with visual effects by Station X

Studios, fell out of the top ten to #12 with a gross of $710,000 making its

cume $27.7 million. POKEMON: THE FIRST MOVIE also slipped from the top ten

finishing at #13 with a gross of $540,000 and a cume of $83.1 million.

Other special effects-laden films finishing in the top 30 include: Buena

Vista's THE SIXTH SENSE at #15, with a gross of $490,000 and a cume of

$275.2 million; Warner Bros.' HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL at #18, with a gross of

$300,000 and a cume of $39.9 million; Fox's FIGHT CLUB at #27, with a gross

of $140,000 and a cume of $36.2 million; Providence's OMEGA CODE at #29,

with a gross of $130,000 and a cume of $12.1 million. Box office figures

obtained on Lyco's Show Biz Data Base.