‘Hard to Kill’ Was Hard to Beat

The Warner Bros.’ actioner “Hard to Kill” proved hard to beat at the weekend box office. Starring Steven Seagal as a hotshot cop who uses his martial arts skills to exact revenge on the hoods who murdered his family, the film had ticket sales of $9.2 million--the biggest opening of an otherwise sleepy new film year.

Warner Bros.’ “Driving Miss Daisy,” about the relationship between a Jewish matron and her black chauffeur, was No. 2, with ticket sales of $6.4 million, for total receipts of nearly $33 million. In the No. 3 spot was Walt Disney Studios’ teary “Stella,” with $3.6 million in tickets, for a two-week total of $9.2 million.

Tri-Star’s “Loose Cannons” and MGM/UA’s “Stanley and Iris” both opened weakly: “Loose Cannons” mustered up only $2.2 million, for fifth place, while “Stanley and Iris,” which tackles illiteracy, chalked up just $2.1 million, for sixth place.