Date: 20th February 2001

Hannibal Feasts On The Holiday


Hannibal obliterated box-office records for the four-day Presidents' Day weekend, earning $35.5 million, well above the previous record of $30 million for the holiday set in 1998 by Titanic (which was then in its ninth weekend).

Monday's take pushed the total 11-day total for the film to $109.4 million. Three new releases also wound up in the top five, with Chris Rock's comedy Down to Earth placing second with $20.1 million. Another big winner was Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which gathered 10 Oscar nominations last week.

Sony Classics added 447 screens for the martial arts movie, then tallied $11 million in ticket sales, which brought the movie's 11-week total to $73.8 million.

The top ten films for the Presidents Day holiday weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Hannibal, $35.5 million; 2. Down to Earth, $$20.1 million; 3. School's Out, $13.1 million; 4. Sweet November, $11.7 million; 5. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, $11 million; 6. Traffic, $7.5 million; 7. The Wedding Planner, $6.7 million; 8. Chocolat, $6.1 million; 9. Cast Away, $5.8 million (to bring its eight-week total to $217.3 million); 10. Saving Silverman, $5 million.

Source: Studio Briefing