The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES Ÿ Lured by the new computer-animated ''Toy Story,'' moviegoers bought a record $158.5 million worth of movie tickets over the five-day Thanksgiving weekend.
The holiday take, led by the $39.1 million gross of ''Toy Story,'' was the highest for any weekend, Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. said yesterday.
The previous mark was set over this year's five-day Fourth of July weekend, when ticket sales totaled $154.5 million. The previous Thanksgiving record was set in 1992, with sales of $140.1 million.
''Toy Story,'' the first feature film animated completely by computer, was not the sole reason for the record. The new James Bond movie, ''Goldeneye,'' took in $26.2 million for second, and ''Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls'' earned $18.7 million in third. The new robbery story ''Money Train'' collected $15.5 million in its debut weekend for fourth place.