WEEKEND BOX OFFICE : ‘Home Alone’ Holds On to No. 1

Though it opened with strong ticket sales of $10 million, Columbia Pictures’ “Misery”--the Rob Reiner-directed adaptation of a Stephen King novel about a best-selling novelist held prisoner by a crazed fan--had to settle for the No. 2 spot at the weekend box office. In first place, for the third weekend, was “Home Alone.” The Fox comedy about an 8-year-old boy defending his home against a pair of bungling burglars, had ticket sales of $14.3 million. Ranked third--down 41% from its opening weekend--was Disney/Touchstone Pictures’ “Three Men and a Little Lady.” Orion Pictures’ “Dances With Wolves” dropped just 25% in its second week of wide release, with $7 million. Fox’s “Predator II” took a free fall over its second weekend, dropping 52% with grosses of just $4.1 million.

* After three weeks, “Rocky V” appears down for the count. With ticket sales of $3.3 million on 1,569 screens--a drop of 55% over the previous week--the MGM/UA release was ranked sixth, with a per-screen average of $3,303.

Movie Weekend Screens/ Weeks in Total (Studio) Gross Average Release Gross 1. “Home Alone” $14.3 1,342 3 $66.7 (20th Century Fox) Million $10,721 Million 2. “Misery” $10.0 1,244 2 $10.1 (Columbia Pictures) Million $8,100 Million 3. “Three Men and a Little $8.0 1,282 2 $29.7 Lady” (Buena Vista) Million $6,269 Million 4. “Dances With Wolves” $7.0 1,053 4 $24.4 (Orion Pictures) Million $6,671 Million 5. “Predator II” $4.1 1,978 2 $19.7 (20th Century Fox) Million $2,097 Million * “Rocky V” $3.4 1,569 3 $32.1 (MGM/UA) Million $3,303

SOURCES: Exhibitor Relations Co.