Boffo Box-Office Weekends of Past

“Beverly Hills Cop II” set an opening-weekend record for biggest box-office take in a three-day period. Its 2,326-screen opening was also the widest until last week, when both “ ‘Crocodile’ Dundee II” and “Rambo III” opened on more screens. But the original “Cop” wound up doing more business overall. “Rocky IV” became the biggest seller of the “Rocky” series, especially since it featured everyone’s fave boxer going up against the Russians--just as glasnost was coming onto the scene. Four was a lucky number for the environmentally conscious “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home,” which proved to be the biggest grosser of the “Star Trek” quartet. “Three Men and a Baby,” 1987-88’s biggest comedy, is still racking up dollars for the Walt Disney Co. Though “Top Gun’ “s first weekend wasn’t spectacular, the film gained momentum through the summer of ‘86, to emerge the year’s box-office champ. (Note: all figures listed above are for three-day weekends.)

OTHER BIG OPENING WEEKENDS

Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average in Release 1. Beverly Hills Cop II $26.4 2,326 -- (Paramount) (5/22-24/87) $163.5 $11,349 2. Rocky IV (estimate) $19.1 1,325 -- (MGM) (11/29/85-12/1/85) $154.6 $14,415 3. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home $16.9 1,349 -- (Paramount) (11/28-30/86) $117.4 $12,528 4. Three Men and a Baby $10.4 1,006 -- (Touchstone) (11/27-29/87) $162.4 $10,322 5. Top Gun $8.2 1,048 -- (Paramount) (5/16-18/86) $161.1 $7,817

SOURCE: Daily Variety, distributors’ figures