STUART 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.