THE BOX OFFICE

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Titanic was at the head of Hollywood's regatta for a fifth week with a $29.5 million in ticket sales, industry sources estimated Sunday. The movie earned two percent more than the previous week and well over the $28.6 million that it grossed during its debut weekend. "It's enormous. It's fantastic. It's a phenomenon,'' said Rob Friedman, vice chairman of Paramount's Motion Picture Group. "It's doing better than everyone thought it would. It's in the outer reaches where it's beyond predictability.'' The sinking ship epic already has made up its $200 million budget despite a running time of more than three hours that limits screenings. So far, it has grossed an estimated $235.8 million at the North American box office. In second place with $11 million was Good Will Hunting, a drama featuring Matt Damon as a soul-searching young genius and Robin Williams as his therapist. Three new films made the list. Fallen, starring Denzel Washington as a cop tracking a demon who transfers from person to person by touch, debuted in third place with $9.2 million, pushing out the Jack Nicholson comedy As Good as it Gets, which was fourth with $8.3 million. Hard Rain, a flood thriller starring Morgan Freeman and Christian Slater, was fifth with $7.2 million. The 1970s-style comedy Half-Baked, starring Jim Breuer of TV's Saturday Night Live, earned $6.8 million for sixth place. Wag the Dog followed with $6.2 million. Tomorrow Never Dies was No. 8, adding another $5.5 million to its overall gross of $111 million. The movie, starring Pierce Brosnan, now is the most successful of the James Bond films in the North American market. The previous North American record was set by 1995's GoldenEye, also starring Brosnan, which brought in $106.1 million. ``It took GoldenEye 16 weeks to reach that,'' said Larry Gleason, MGM's distribution president. ``We broke the record ... in five weeks.'' The movie has benefited from a $100 million promotional campaign conducted by BMW and other partners. Final box office figures were to be released Monday. Here are estimated grosses for the top 10 movies at North American theaters for Friday through Sunday: 1. Titanic, $29.5 million.
2. Good Will Hunting, $11 million.
3. Fallen, $9.2 million.
4. As Good As It Gets, $8.3 million.
5. Hard Rain, $7.2 million
6. Half-Baked, $6.8 million.
7. Wag the Dog, $6.2 million.
8. Tomorrow Never Dies, $5.5 million.
9. MouseHunt, $4.3 million.
10. Amistad, $2.7 million.

"Tomorrow Never Dies soars in Europe," excerpts from Reuters

Rounding out a memorable weekend overseas, Tomorrow Never Dies minted $10.9 million and its foreign total soared to $134.6 million.

The new 007 set opening records for the Bond franchise in Greece ($336,000), Poland ($173,000) and Yugoslavia ($72,000). The big earners are the U.K.'s $27.9 million, Germany's $26.2 million, France's $20.2 million and Australia and Spain, both at $6.4 million.

"Titanic brings in more than $20 million for fourth straight weekend," The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Titanic grossed more than $20 million for a record fourth straight weekend and now appears headed to a domestic haul of close to $300 million.

The film was expected to pass the $200 million mark Monday night and faces no strong competition for several weeks. It slipped a mere 14 percent from the previous weekend, when it enjoyed its single best day. The epic is also playing well in overseas markets.

The only new film in national release, Howie Long's Firestorm, was sacked in its debut, finishing a distant seventh.

Good Will Hunting was popular in its first weekend of wide release, as was the political satire Wag the Dog. Tomorrow Never Dies, the latest in the James Bond series, passed the $100 million threshold.

Kevin Costner's The Postman continued its meteoric crash, playing to nearly empty theaters. Mr. Magoo fell sharply.

The top 20 movies at North American theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by studio, gross, number of theater locations, receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. and Entertainment Data:
1. Titanic, Paramount, $28.7 million, 2,746 locations, $10,458 average, $197.9 million, four weeks.
2. Good Will Hunting, Miramax, $10.3 million, 1,787 locations, $5,742 average, $19 million, six weeks.
3. As Good As It Gets, Tristar, $9 million, 1,632 locations, $5,523 average, $54 million, three weeks.
4. Wag the Dog, New Line, $7.8 million, 1,665 locations, $4,672 average, $9.7 million, three weeks.
5. Tomorrow Never Dies, MGM, $7.5 million, 2,807 locations, $2,685 average, $103.4 million, four weeks.
6. MouseHunt, DreamWorks, $4.6 million, 2,233 locations, $2,061 average, $45.8 million, four weeks.
7. Firestorm, 20th Century Fox, $3.8 million, 2,037 locations, $1,890 average, $3.8 million, one week.
8. Jackie Brown, Miramax, $3.7 million, 1,642 locations, $2,276 average, $33.4 million, three weeks.
9. Scream 2, Miramax, $3.6 million, 2,332 locations, $1,536 average, $90.8 million, five weeks.
10. Amistad, DreamWorks, $2.7 million, 773 locations, $3,477 average, $30.8 million, five weeks.
11. An American Werewolf in Paris, Disney, $2.1 million, 1,659 locations, $1,274 average, $23.4 million, three weeks.
12. Flubber, Disney, $2 million, 1,624 locations, $1,225 average, $85.6 million, seven weeks.
13. The Boxer, Universal, $1.75 million, 464 locations, $3,790 average, $1.9 million, two weeks.
14. Mr. Magoo, Disney, $1.74 million, 1,706 locations, $1,025 average, $17.9 million, three weeks.
15. For Richer or Poorer, Universal, $1.5 million, 1,359 locations, $1,100 average, $26.6 million, five weeks.
16. Home Alone 3, 20th Century Fox, $1.4 million, 1,431 locations, $1,011 average, $26.2 million, five weeks.
17. Deconstructing Harry, Fine Line, $1.17 million, 445 locations, $2,635 average, $6.7 million, five weeks.
18. The Postman, Warner Bros., $1.12 million, 1,722 locations, $655 average, $16.5 million, three weeks.
19. Anastasia, 20th Century Fox, $855,000, 958 locations, $892 average, $54.2 million, nine weeks.
20. L.A. Confidential, Warner Bros., $539,000, 304 locations, $1,773 average, $39 million, 17 weeks.

"Titanic continues to dominate the box office," The Associated Press with added information from Reuters

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Titanic maintained its No. 1 box-office ranking for a fourth weekend with an astonishing $29.2 million - more money than it grossed in its debut weekend, industry sources estimated Sunday. It dropped off only 12 percent in ticket sales from last week.

"The appetite seems to be unending at the moment,'' said Rob Friedman, vice chairman of Paramount's Motion Picture Group. "It has tremendous staying power.''

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet as lovers on the doomed ocean liner, Titanic cost $200 million to make but should gross that amount by Monday, its 25th day of release, despite a running time of more than three hours that limits the number of screenings.

Only two other films have reached the $200 million mark more quickly: Independence Day did it in 21 days and Jurassic Park in 23 days. However, observers say Titanic will need to earn at least $400 million to cover all production, advertising and distribution costs.

Good Will Hunting, a feel-good drama starring Matt Damon as a troubled young genius and Robin Williams as his therapist, placed second in its first weekend of wide release, earning a strong $10.3 million.

"Its word of mouth is so powerful,'' said industry analyst Robert Bucksbaum, president of Reel Source Inc. "We don't expect it to drop off either. It's definitely an Oscar contender.''

As Good As It Gets was third with $9.3 million, followed by Wag the Dog, a political satire starring Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro, which grossed $8.2 million in its first weekend of wide release.

Tomorrow Never Dies, the latest in the James Bond series, was fifth with $7.5 million, bringing it's 24-day total to $103.3 million, less than $3 million of the domestic take of it's predecessor, Goldeneye.

The only new film to enter the top 10 list was Firestorm, an action adventure starring football's Howie Long. It came in at No. 7 with a disappointing $4 million.

Amistad, still in limited release, was 10th with $2.7 million. It will go into wide release on Friday.

"Titanic may get a further boost with next Sunday's Golden Globe Awards - it has a leading eight nominations - and again with the Academy Award nominations on Feb. 10.

"It may start to lose some of its steam around then, and the nods will give it a boost,'' Bucksbaum said of the movie's expected Oscar nominations. "Titanic will last well into the spring,'' he said.

Estimated grosses for the top 10 movies at North American theaters Friday through Sunday (final figures to be release Monday):

1. Titanic, $29.2 million.
2. Good Will Hunting, $10.3 million.
3. As Good As It Gets, $9.3 million.
4. Wag the Dog, $8.2 million.
5. Tomorrow Never Dies, $7.5 million.
6. MouseHunt, $5 million.
7. Firestorm, $4 million
8. Jackie Brown, $3.8 million.
9. Scream 2, $3.7 million.
10. Amistad, $2.7 million.

"Titanic in first for third straight weekend," The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - Titanic continued to plow ahead at the box office, finishing on top of the weekend box-office charts by a wide margin. The disaster epic enjoyed its best day yet on Saturday - 15 days after it opened - taking in an estimated $12.7 million. During the first weekend of the new year it earned $33.3 million.

The movie has grossed $157.5 million to date and could end up netting more than $250 million at domestic theaters.

No other movies opened in wide release. The Boxer performed well in limited release but the turnout was less impressive for Oscar & Lucinda. Kevin Costner's costly flop The Postman fell out of the Top 10 in just its second weekend out. Tomorrow Never Dies was strong, and should pass the $100 million mark by next weekend.

As Good As It Gets performed well in about 1,500 locations - about half the number of theaters as the box office leaders.

Following are the top 20 movies at North American theaters Friday through Sunday, with studio, gross, number of theater locations, receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. and Entertainment Data.
1. Titanic, Paramount, $33.3 million, 2,727 locations, $12,217 average, $157.5 million, three weeks.
2. Tomorrow Never Dies, MGM, $13.8 million, 2,807 locations, $4,916 average, $92.4 million, three weeks.
3. As Good As It Gets, Tristar, $12.2 million, 1,579 locations, $7,738 average, $40.7 million, two weeks.
4. MouseHunt, DreamWorks, $8.4 million, 2,213 locations, $3,804 average, $40 million, three weeks.
5. Scream 2, Miramax, $7.28 million, 2,688 locations, $2,710 average, $85.5 million, four weeks.
6. Jackie Brown, Miramax, $7.26 million, 1,629 locations, $4,460 average, $27.2 million, two weeks.
7. Amistad, DreamWorks, $4.47 million, 726 locations, $6,167 average, $26.7 million, four weeks.
8. An American Werewolf in Paris, Buena Vista, $4.44 million, 1,731 locations, $2,566 average, $20.1 million, two weeks.
9. Flubber, Buena Vista, $4.40 million, 1,957 locations, $2,250 average, $83.1 million, six weeks.
10. Mr. Magoo, Buena Vista, $4.1 million, 1,857 locations, $2,210 average, $15.6 million, two weeks.
11. Home Alone 3, 20th Century Fox, $3.8 million, 2,106 locations, $1,818 average, $24.3 million, four weeks.
12. The Postman, Warner Bros., $3.5 million, 2,107 locations, $1,677 average, $14.3 million, two weeks.
13. For Richer or Poorer, Universal, $3.1 million, 1,954 locations, $1,600 average, $24.5 million, four weeks.
14. Good Will Hunting, Miramax, $2.3 million, 164 locations, $14,259 average, $7.5 million, five weeks.
15. Anastasia, 20th Century Fox, $2.1 million, 1,549 locations, $1,372 average, $53 million, eight weeks.
16. Deconstructing Harry, Fine Line, $2.1 million, 443 locations, $4,700 average, $4.9 million, four weeks.
17. Wag the Dog, New Line, $1.2 million, 69 locations, $17,322 average, $1.4 million, two weeks.
18. LA Confidential, Warner Bros., $578,000, 302 locations, $1,914 average, $38.3 million, 16 weeks.
19. John Grisham's The Rainmaker, Paramount, $576,000, 827 locations, $697 average, $44.4 million, seven weeks.
20. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Warner Bros., $494,000, 556 locations, $888 average, $23.6 million, seven weeks.

"Titanic Unsinkable In 3rd Box Office Weekend," Reuters/Variety

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Titanic once again proved unsinkable over the three-day post-New Year's weekend, slowing just 9% to a phenomenal $32.2 million.

After only 17 days at sea, the Leonardo DiCaprio-Kate Winslet starrer pulled out of the holiday period with a massive $156.4 million total.

The Paramount picture continued to leave broken records in its wake, this time racking up the best New Year's Day box office with $11.6 million. But Titanic enjoyed the highest-grossing day of its 17-day run on Saturday, when it pulled in $12.7 million.

In its third weekend, Titanic managed the second-best January performance ever, behind the record $35.9 million opening weekend of Fox's Star Wars reissue last year.

Titanic fever helped raise the overall box office temperature as well: films grossing over $500,000 are expected to total about $121 million -- a hefty 35% boost over this time last year.

Paramount distribution president Wayne Lewellen attributed the market's huge expansion to a combination of high-quality product and additional seats made available by the recent megaplex-building boom. Lewellen estimated that for any given show, Titanic was available on about 1.4 million seats.

Despite the newfound seating capacity, however, Titanic continued to sell out during certain prime evening shows. That helped pump up overall business by sending spillover crowds to other pictures, according to Lewellen.

With no new wide releases entering the market, the ranking of top-five films remained unchanged. MGM's Tomorrow Never Dies once again took second place, dropping 29% to $14.6 million.

At No. 3, Sony's As Good As It Gets enjoyed a particularly promising hold, dropping just 2% to $12.3 million in its second outing. The Jack Nicholson-Helen Hunt starrer boarded at 1,579 kennels for an auspicious $7,790 average.

Jeff Blake, Sony distribution chief, projected that a blend of positive word-of-mouth, awards and a lack of direct competition in coming weeks will push the picture's total to between $80 million and $100 million.

DreamWorks' Mouse Hunt continued to be the picture of choice for the 4-feet-and-under crowd, dipping just 10% to $8.7 million. With some school holidays ending Monday, the film is likely to see a sharp drop in midweek attendance. Still, with a 17-day total of $40.3 million, the slapstick comedy should finish respectably between $50 million and $60 million.

Controversy once again swirled around Miramax's box office reporting on Scream 2. While the studio projected the horror sequel's three-day take at $8 million, rival distributors put the number between $6.4 million and $7.5 million.

Daily Variety estimated the weekend gross at $7.4 million, a drop of 19% from the previous weekend. That moved the film to No. 6, below Miramax's own Jackie Brown, which picked up a reported $7.7 million.

Leading a handful of upscale pictures that made limited debuts over the weekend, Universal's The Boxer knocked out $93,500 in three rings in New York, L.A. and Toronto, or $31,167 per round.

Since its Wednesday opening, the Daniel Day-Lewis-Emily Watson starrer has earned $137,000.

The picture expands to 500 theaters Friday and adds more sites on Jan. 16.

"We want to strike while the iron's hot," said Nikki Rocco, Universal president of distribution, of the studio's decision to forgo a more gradual platform release.

Fox Searchlight's Oscar and Lucinda bowed to $82,100 in seven New York and L.A. locations, or $11,728 per screen. The Ralph Fiennes-Cate Blanchett romance has wooed $134,000 since its Wednesday bow.

Among platform expansions, Fine Line's Deconstructing Harry put together a solid $2.2 million take after expanding from 79 to 443 theaters. That gave the Woody Allen comedy a $4,887 average. Cume to date is just under $5 million.

Even more promising, New Line's Wag the Dog dug up $1.3 million in 69 locations, or $18,405 per site. The Barry Levinson-helmed satire has earned $1.6 million since its exclusive opening 11 days ago.

Miramax's Good Will Hunting jumped 30% to $2.2 million after adding just seven screens, bringing its total to 164. The film, which expands to 1,500 theaters Friday, has earned $7.4 million to date.

"The Top 20 Domestic Movies Of 1997," Reuters/Variety

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Following are the top 20 movies at the North American box office for 1997. Chart should read: film (distributor) ... Gross (millions of dollars).
1. Men in Black (Sony) ........................ $250.0 +
2. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (Universal)... $229.1
3. Liar Liar (Universal) ...................... $181.4
4. Air Force One (Sony) ....................... $171.9 +
5. Star Wars (Fox) ............................ $138.2
6. My Best Friend's Wedding (Sony) ............ $126.7 +
7. Titanic (Paramount) ........................ $112.4 +
8. Face/Off (Paramount) ....................... $112.3
9. Batman & Robin (Warner Bros.) .............. $107.3
10 George of the Jungle (Buena Vista) ......... $105.2 +
11 Con Air (Buena Vista) ...................... $101.1
12 Contact (Warner Bros.) ............................. $ 77.3 +
17 Conspiracy Theory (Warner Bros.) ........... $ 76.1
18 Scream 2 (Miramax) ......................... $ 75.5 +
19 Tomorrow Never Dies (MGM) .................. $ 73.3 +
20 I Know What You Did Last Summer (Sony) ..... $ 70.3 +
NOTE: + - in current release. Buena Vista is Disney's distribution arm. Jerry Maguire and Scream were released in 1996: figures are for 1997 only.

"Titanic holds the helm in box office battle," The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - It's full steam ahead for Titanic, which held its reign for a third week with $32.2 million in ticket sales while another epic, The Postman, sank in the standings, according to industry estimates Sunday. James Cameron's $200 million film had more than double the weekend ticket sales of its nearest rival, according to Exhibitor Relations Co., Inc. Tomorrow Never Dies, the latest James Bond film, was second with $14.1 million. By comparison, Titanic made $12.7 million on Saturday alone for its best single day yet, according to Wayne Lewellen, president of distribution for Paramount studios.

The romantic comedy As Good As It Gets, starring Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt, was in third place with $12.3 million.

Kevin Costner's The Postman, a nearly three-hour epic, was a genuine disaster. The $80 million film about a future America devastated by war made a paltry $3.7 million in its second week to drop off the top 10 list. Titanic now has earned $156.4 million in less than a month despite a length topping three hours that limits the number of screenings. More theaters were being added.

No new films got a wide viewing but several had good debuts in limited release.

The Boxer, with Daniel Day-Lewis as an Irishman caught in the middle of the Catholic-Protestant wars, earned $93,504 at three theaters. The movie actually opened Wednesday and had earned a total of $137,322. Oscar and Lucinda, a period piece starring Ralph Fiennes and Cate Blanchett as a couple united by gambling, grossed $82,000 on seven screens. Final figures were to be released Monday.

Here are estimated grosses for the top 10 movies at North American theaters Friday through Sunday:
1. Titanic, $32.2 million.
2. Tomorrow Never Dies, $14.1 million.
3. As Good As It Gets, $12.3 million.
4. MouseHunt, $8.7 million.
5. Scream 2, $8 million.
6. Jackie Brown, $7.7 million.
7. Amistad, $4.7 million.
8. An American Werewolf in Paris, $4.6 million.
9. Flubber, $4.5 million.
10. Mr. Magoo, $4.4 million.

"Latest Bond Film Tops $140 Million Worldwide," Reuters/Variety

SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Box office receipts from Tomorrow Never Dies have topped $140 million worldwide since the latest James Bond movie opened in theaters 10 days ago, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. said Tuesday.

In a statement, MGM called sales "better than expected."

The studio said domestic box office receipts total $62.2 million to date, up 9 percent from the last big-screen outing of agent 007, 1995's GoldenEye.

Overseas, ticket sales for Tomorrow Never Dies were at $77.8 million, 19 percent higher than GoldenEye in the same period.

GoldenEye had been the most successful film in the Bond franchise, with total worldwide ticket sales of about $350 million -- $106 million domestically and $244 million overseas.

"Expensive Titanic expected to be moneymaker," The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Titanic steamed to success at the box office, earning $44.6 million as it held the No. 1 spot for a second week.

Tomorrow Never Dies, the latest James Bond adventure, was second with $26.4 million in ticket sales from Thursday through Sunday, Exhibitor Relations Co., Inc. reported Monday.

Despite a $200 million-plus price tag that makes it the most expensive movie ever produced, Titanic likely will end up a moneymaker for Paramount Studios, said Art Rockwell, an analyst with Yaeger Capital Markets.

"They'll certainly recover most if not all their costs on it, which is a major accomplishment for a picture that went far over budget,'' Rockwell said.

Director James Cameron's ocean liner drama also is likely to remain in theaters for longer than usual because of expected Academy Award nominations, he said.

Another three-hour epic, Kevin Costner's The Postman, debuted poorly. The tale of a post-apocalyptic mail carrier cost more than $80 million to make and earned just $6.8 million to finish in eighth place.

Here are the top 20 movies at North American theaters Thursday through Sunday, followed by studio, gross, number of theater locations, receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. and Entertainment Data.

1. Titanic, Paramount, $44.6 million, 2,711 locations, $16,464 average, $88.4 million, two weeks.
2. Tomorrow Never Dies, MGM/United Artists, $26.4 million, 2,807 locations, $9,420 average, $62.2 million, two weeks.
3. As Good As It Gets, Sony/Tristar, $16 million, 1,572 locations, $10,190 average, $16 million, one week.
4. Jackie Brown, Miramax, $12.9 million, 1,370 locations, $9,408 average, $12.9 million, one week.
5. Scream 2, Miramax, $12 million, 2,670 locations, $4,485 average, $71.1 million, three weeks.
6. MouseHunt, DreamWorks, $11.6 million, 2,191 locations, $5,311 average, $21.5 million, two weeks.
7. An American Werewolf in Paris, Buena Vista, $11 million, 1,728 locations, $6,358 average, $11 million, one week.
8. The Postman, Warner Bros., $6.8 million, 2,207 locations, $3,088 average, $6.8 million, one week.
9. Mr. Magoo, Buena Vista, $6.5 million, 1,857 locations, $3,485 average, $6.5 million, one week.
10. Amistad, DreamWorks, $6.4 million, 712 locations, $9,047 average, $17.8 million, three weeks.
11. Flubber, Buena Vista, $6.1 million, 2,008 locations, $3,039 average, $73.1 million, five weeks.
12. For Richer or Poorer, Universal, $5 million, 1,950 locations, $2,575 average, $17.6 million, three weeks.
13. Home Alone 3, 20th Century Fox, $4.5 million, 2,214 locations, $2,026 average, $16 million, three weeks.
14. Anastasia, 20th Century Fox, $2.4 million, 1,673 locations, $1,461 average, $48.3 million, seven weeks.
15. Good Will Hunting, Miramax, $2.1 million, 157 locations, $13,466 average, $3.2 million, four weeks.
16. Deconstructing Harry, Fine Line, $1.1 million, 79 locations, $13,835 average, $2 million, three weeks.
17. John Grisham's The Rainmaker, Paramount, $1 million, 1,025 locations, $1,016 average, $43.2 million, six weeks.
18. Alien Resurrection, Fox, $656,678, 616 locations, $1,066 average, $45.2 million, five weeks.
19. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Warner Bros., $650,068, 556 locations, $1,169 average, $22.8 million, six weeks.
20. LA Confidential, Warner Bros., $577,146, 302 locations, $1,911 average, $37.3 million, 15 weeks.

"Titanic floats atop Christmas box office tally," The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Titanic earned $35.6 million to set a three-day December box office record and retain the No. 1 position, far ahead of Tomorrow Never Dies, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The $200 million ocean disaster epic, the most expensive movie ever made, eclipsed the $33 million set by this month's debut of Scream 2. The horror sequel, which still holds the record for a December opening, dipped to sixth place.

Tomorrow Never Dies, the latest James Bond adventure, sold $21 million in tickets.

Among new films, the Jack Nicholson comedy As Good As It Gets was a winner at third place with $12.5 in ticket sales, while The Postman and Jackie Brown opened weakly.

Titanic has earned $87 million already and will likely pass the $100 million mark by Friday, said Robert Bucksbaum of the film industry newsletter Reel Source.

Ticket sales were up 23 percent in its second week and the average take at 2,711 locations was $12,900, considered extremely high. The figures were even more impressive because the 3-hour, 14-minute running time limited the number of screenings theaters can put on daily.

"Titanic is getting a lot of repeat business, it's just that good of a film,'' Bucksbaum said. "A lot of people felt it would have a lot of trouble getting its money back.''

Titanic also had the biggest-ever Christmas Day take with $9.2 million, eclipsing the $6 million earned by Godfather III in 1990.

TriStar's As Good As It Gets, co-starring Helen Hunt and Greg Kinnear had the weekend's best debut. The dark comedy that earned Golden Globe nominations for its three main actors opened in 1,572 locations and had a $7,952 per-location average.

"Eight new pictures opened this weekend and we beat all of them,'' said Ed Russell, spokesman for Columbia/TriStar. "It is very encouraging that a well-written, well-acted and well-directed film did so well.'' DreamWorks SKG also scored big with an audience surge for the movies MouseHunt - up 65 percent over its debut weekend - and Amistad, up 55 percent from its previous weekend.

The most significant disaster was The Postman, with Kevin Costner as star, director and producer. The poorly reviewed saga about a post-apocalyptic mail carrier cost more than $80 million to make and had less than $4 million in opening weekend receipts to finish out of the top 10.

"It's a hard film to sell because it has a lot of competition,'' Bucksbaum said. "Warner Bros. was really counting on this film to end their season on a positive note.''

The new Quentin Tarantino film Jackie Brown debuted at No. 5 with $8.8 million and An American Werewolf in Paris was seventh with $7.8 million. Mr. Magoo, the Leslie Nielsen comedy based on the near-sighted cartoon character, debuted in ninth place with $5.5 million. Final figures were to be released Monday.

Here are the studios' estimated grosses for the top 10 movies at North American theaters Friday through Sunday:

1. Titanic, $35.6 million.
2. Tomorrow Never Dies, $21 million.
3. As Good As It Gets, $12.5 million.
4. MouseHunt, $10 million.
5. Jackie Brown, $8.8 million.
6. Scream 2, $8.7 million.
7. An American Werewolf in Paris, $7.8 million.
8. Flubber, $5.8 million.
9. Mr. Magoo, $5.5 million.
10.Amistad, $5.1 million.

"Viacom's Titanic No. 1 at Box Office ," Bloomberg Financial News Service

Los Angeles -- News Corp. and Viacom's Inc.'s Titanic took in $44.8 million over the weekend, making it No. 1 at the box office and boosting the likelihood that the studios can turn a profit on history's most expensive film.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.'s latest James Bond film, Tomorrow Never Dies, grossed $27 million during the weekend, stretched to four days by the Christmas holiday, ranking it No. 2. Time Warner Inc.'s post-apocalyptic epic The Postman, starring Kevin Costner, debuted to just $5.3 million, out of the top 10, cementing Warner Bros.'s most disastrous box-office year since 1990.

The success of Titanic, which cost about $200 million to make, could bolster film profit at News Corp. and Viacom in a year in which News Corp.'s film profit fell 43 percent in the first quarter and Viacom's third-quarter earnings fell 83 percent. Titanic's showing was all the more impressive given that it runs more than 3 hours, limiting the number of times theaters can show it in a day.

"It's still too early to say whether it's enough to make a profit, but it's off to a good start,'' said Cowen & Co. analyst Harold Vogel, who has a "neutral'' rating on Viacom stock and had a "long-term positive'' rating on News Corp. shares as of last week.

Despite Tomorrow's performance, MGM is expected to lose money in its first year as a public company. Still, the film's strong showing adds credibility to Chairman Frank Mancuso's efforts to turn around the once-ailing studio, which hasn't made money since 1988.

For Warner Bros., The Postman's flop, coming after disappointments like Batman and Robin and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil continues a free-fall at a studio that has traditionally been No. 1 or No. 2 at the box office. Like Titanic, both Postman and Midnight were criticized for their length, which limits their appeal to audiences and their ability to gross big box-office numbers.

The studio's problems resulted in the firing of Chris Pula, the marketing chief who oversaw the studio's stumbling at the box office.

"Postman is known to be a major disappointment for Warner Bros., and they've had a terrible year,'' said Art Rockwell, an analyst at Yaeger Capital Markets in Los Angeles who has a "hold'' rating on Time Warner stock. "This is coal in their stocking.''

Sony Corp.'s As Good As It Gets, a romantic comedy starring Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt, came in at No. 3 with a gross of $16 million, the latest success in a strong year at the movies for the company.

Walt Disney Co.'s Mr. Magoo debuted to a lackluster $5.5 million at No. 10, blunting the media giant's traditional Christmas season dominance. The blow was counterbalanced by continued strong performance from Robin Williams's comedy Flubber, which grossed $5.8 million at No. 9 in its fifth week, and from Scream 2, which took in $11.6 million at No. 6 in its third week. Disney's An American Werewolf in Paris, debuting at No. 7, also pulled in some of the teenage horror-fan crowd, grossing about $7.8 million. The studio benefited as well from a stronger-than-expected performance by Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown, which grossed $12.3 million at No. 4 for the weekend.

Its overall film performance is helping power the company to one of its best years ever, supported also by strong theme park and consumer products sales. Disney is expected to earn $1.05 cents a share in the first quarter ended Dec. 31, up from 98 cents in the year-ago period, and $3.19 in fiscal 1998, up from $2.76.

Both movies produced by fledgling studio DreamWorks SKG managed to improve on their performance from last weekend. MouseHunt, a comedy starring Nathan Lane took in $11.9 million at No. 5, bringing its total to $21.7 million. Steven Spielberg's slave drama Amistad grossed $6.4 million at No. 8, giving it a three-week total of $17.7 million.

The weekend in general was a stronger one than last year, as moviegoers with extra time on their hands flocked to see new releases, analysts said. "This is a major jump versus a year ago,'' Rockwell said. "It was a fantastic Christmas weekend.''

Box Office Estimates

Movie	$Mlns	Screens	Wk	$Total
1. Titanic	44.8	2,711	2	88.1
2. Tomorrow	27.0	2,807	2	62.0
3. As Good	16.0	1,572	1	16.1
4. Jackie	12.3	1,370	1	12.3
5. MouseHunt	11.9	2,191	2	21.7
6. Scream 2	11.6	2,670	3	70.7
7. Werewolf	7.8	1,728	1	11.3
8. Amistad	6.4	712	3	17.7
9. Flubber	5.8	2,008	5	73.4
10. Magoo	5.5	1,857	1	6.9

Figures provided by Exhibitor Relations Co., Los Angeles.

"Titanic, Bond Flick Rule Foreign Box Office," Variety

SYDNEY - A fleet of foreign premieres for Titanic and the European rollout of Tomorrow Never Dies made for a busy weekend at the overseas box office.

The blockbuster duo stayed out of each other's way, allowing the Bond picture to set records in Europe and the sinking ship saga to dock great performances in Asia. Those foolhardy enough to take them on -- most notably Home Alone 3 and Spice World -- were left high and dry.

Titanic had a terrific weekend, given its 3-hour, 14-minute length, with a clutch of top spot debuts. It flooded $4 million from sellouts in Japan, and sailed into pole position Down Under with $2.1 million. In Taiwan and Hong Kong, Titanic earned $750,740 and $808,888, respectively, and broke many house records. It also set records in Norway, Belgium and Denmark, as well as Lebanon and the Persian Gulf.

Tomorrow Never Dies went into full throttle in Europe, nabbing $35.8 million after last week's massive bow in the U.K., when it grossed $8.4 million in its first six days. It earned $7.9 million in Germany's third-biggest bow of the year, behind The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Men in Black, and was 5% ahead of GoldenEye.

In Spain, Tomorrow Never Dies was 65% ahead of GoldenEye, with $1.4 million, and surpassed its predecessor by 6% in Sweden with $1.2 million from.

Going up against the Bond juggernaut in many European markets -- and being left well alone by audiences -- was Home Alone 3, which suffered a series of embarrassing encounters. It mustered a miserable $3 million from 21 Euro debuts, least cringe-worthy of which was Britain's, with $706,000.

"Titanic No. 1 in North American theaters, Bond Close Behind," The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Titanic made $28.6 million in its opening weekend and is on course to meet its $200 million-plus price tag, an industry analyst said Monday.

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Titanic is director James Cameron's much-anticipated vision of the luxury ocean liner's disastrous maiden voyage in 1912. Originally scheduled for the lucrative Fourth of July weekend, its debut was delayed because Cameron needed more time to finish it. The wait may have proved advantageous for the most expensive film ever made.

"It's interesting when a film opens prior to a holiday,'' said David Davis, vice president at Los Angeles investment bank Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin.

"A summer-type holiday could provide a week or two of good attendance, but it's almost wall-to-wall weekends once Dec. 25th rolls around, with kids out of school and adults on vacation. Films tend to get much better second weeks. "Even with additional competition, second weeks could eclipse the first. I think Titanic is still on line to gross $150 million to $200 million in the U.S.,'' Davis said.

The latest James Bond installment, Tomorrow Never Dies, starring Pierce Brosnan, was the second most attended film, with a $25.1 million weekend take.

Scream 2 fell from No. 1 to third place with $13.9 million. MouseHunt debuted in disappointing fourth with $6 million. Woody Allen's Deconstructing Harry, only on 10 screens, made an average $27,268 per screening. Also in limited release, Robert Duvall's The Apostle, on four screens, made $7,349 per screening.

The top 20 movies at North American theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by studio, gross, number of theater locations, receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. and Entertainment Data.

1. Titanic, Paramount, $28.6 million, 2,674 locations, $10,710 average, $28.6 million, first week.
2. Tomorrow Never Dies, MGM/UA, $25.1 million, 2,807 locations, $8,957 average, $25.1 million, first week.
3. Scream 2, Miramax, $13.9 million, 2,638 locations, $5,277 average, $55 million, second week.
4. MouseHunt, DreamWorks, $6 million, 2,152 locations, $2,817 average, $6 million, first week.
5. Flubber, Buena Vista, $4.3 million, 2,612 locations, $1,638 average, $64.3 million, fourth week.
6. Home Alone 3, Fox, $3.5 million, 2,061 locations, $1,684 average, $9.4 million, second week.
7. For Richer or Poorer, Universal, $3.4 million, 1,926 locations, $1,745 average, $10.9 million, second week.
8. Amistad, DreamWorks, $3.3 million, 480 locations, $6,834 average, $9.7 million, second week.
9. Anastasia, Fox, $1.7 million, 1,873 locations, $889 average, $44.4 million, sixth week.
10. John Grisham's The Rainmaker, Paramount, $1.4 million, 1,492 locations, $949 average, $41.5 million, five weeks.
11. Alien Resurrection, 20th Century Fox, $1.3 million, 1,588 locations, $814 average, $44 million, four weeks.
12. The Jackal, Universal, $834,925, 1,176 locations, $710 average, $51.6 million, six weeks.
13. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Warner Bros., $738,754, 1,016 locations, $727 average, $21.8 million, five weeks.
14. L.A. Confidential, Warner Bros., $506,612, 416 locations, $1,218 average, $36.5 million, 14 weeks.
15. The Wings of the Dove, Miramax, $405,886, 219 locations, $1,853 average, $7.4 million, seven weeks.
16. Devil's Advocate, Warner Bros., $276,082, 586 locations, $471 average, $58.8 million, 10 weeks.
17. Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, New Line, $273,813, 554 locations, $494 average, $33.7 million, five weeks.
18. Deconstructing Harry, Fine Line, $272,683, 10 locations, $27,268 average, $787,878, two weeks.
19. The Full Monty, Fox Searchlight, $230,474, 201 locations, $1,147 average, $34.4 million, 19 weeks.
20. Men in Black, Sony/Columbia, $207,444, 349 locations, $594 average, $249.5 million, 25 weeks.

"Titanic opens No. 1, Tomorrow Never Dies comes in at No. 2," The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The $200 million-plus Titanic - the most expensive film ever made - was buoyant at the box office as it opened with a $27.6 million take at North American theaters, according to industry estimates Sunday. The epic fell nearly $12 million short of the record December opening set by Scream 2 but it appeared on fewer screens and faced tougher competition.

The three-hour, 15-minute love story is set on the disastrous 1912 maiden voyage of the luxury liner. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio and is directed by James Cameron of Terminator fame.

"You have Jim Cameron, one of the most successful filmmakers of his day, Leo DiCaprio, who couldn't be hotter, and a story so well known - we've had great elements to work with from day one,'' said Rob Friedman, vice chairman of Paramount Motion Picture Group, which is releasing Titanic domestically.

Twentieth Century Fox is distributing the film overseas.

Pierce Brosnan as British agent James Bond in Tomorrow Never Dies was a close No. 2, taking in $26 million. The film dominated the young adult male market, pulling audience away from Scream 2. In its second week, the horror sequel had $14 million in ticket sales - a 64 percent drop - and fell from first to third place.

Titanic managed to draw a good audience mix - 57 percent female and 55 percent in the 25-and-older category.

The debut of MouseHunt, DreamWorks' third release, was a disappointing fourth place with $6.3 million, due to heavy competition from several other family-oriented movies, including Home Alone 3, which finished eighth with $3.25 million.

The second DreamWorks movie in current release, the critically-acclaimed slavery epic Amistad, was tied in sixth place with For Richer or Poorer. Both movies made an estimated $3.3 million, but Amistad was shown on only 480 screens.

Estimates for the top 10 films at North American theaters from Friday to Sunday, according to Exhibitor Relations Co., Inc. Final figures were to be released Monday:

1. Titanic, $27.6 million.
2. Tomorrow Never Dies, $26 million.
3. Scream 2, $14 million.
4. MouseHunt, $6.3 million.
5. Flubber, $4.1 million.
6. Amistad, $3.3 million.
6. For Richer or Poorer, $3.3 million.
8. Home Alone, $3.25 million.
9. Anastasia, $1.7 million.
10. John Grisham's The Rainmaker, $1.4 million.