'The First Wives Club' to top box office

HOLLYWOOD (UPI): The third weekend of revenge comedy The First Wives Club and the opening of comedy-drama That Thing You Do! should top the nation's box office with about US$10 million each during the Friday-Sunday period.

Paramount's Wives, starring Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton and Betty Midler, has taken in $50 million in its first two weeks and should have sufficient legs for a domestic run of $100 million. The film, now at 2,312 theaters, has benefited from strong reviews and an outpouring of publicity about the social phenomenon of husbands ditching wives in favor of younger women.

20th Century Fox's debut of That Thing You Do!, written and directed by Tom Hanks, received a boost last weekend from excellent attendance at sneak previews. Virtually all reviews have been positive and Hanks, who also has a supporting role, is one of Hollywood's most popular stars following his successes with Sleepless in Seattle, Forrest Gump and Apollo 13.

A respectable performance in the $7 million range is expected from Disney's opening of D3: The Mighty Ducks, set at a snobby prep school and rolling out at 2,056 theaters. The first version grossed $50 million domestically and the second wound up with $46 million.

Warner Bros.' debut of The Glimmer Man, starring Steven Seagal and Keenan Ivory Wayans trailing a serial killer, has weaker prospects. Although it is opening at 2,236 theaters, it will lose some of its core male audience to football and basketball games.