Boosted by solid openings in Italy, Spain, South Korea, Australia and other smaller markets, , Collateral climbed into second spot this week with $11.2 million. After opening in only 19 markets the film has already earned nearly $60 million and should match its domestic total.

Sticking around in third place with $6.1 million in 34 markets was The Terminal. With only one debut, ($620,000 in Russia) the film relied on strong holdovers to earn its take. Holdovers like the mere 15% drop in Germany and the even more impressive 12% drop in Austria. Those two markets combined for nearly half the films weekend box office.

Resident Evil: Apocalypse's international run is being plagued by the same steep second weekend drop-offs that haunted it Stateside. This week it was a 48% drop in the U.K. and an even worse 50% drop in France. Even so, the film managed another finish in the top five with $5.3 million, boosting its international total to $48.5 million.

White Chicks's week was a lot better than last week, but it would be hard for it to be much worse. This weekend it managed a $1.6 million, second place finish in the U.K., however, it's less impressive when compared to the number one film there, Shark Tale. In Spain the film faired even worse with just $941,000. Better than expected holdovers did help the film jump into the top five with $4.5 million on 1600 screen in 20 markets for a running total of just $16.4 million.

Other highlights on the international scene include:

• Man on Fire bombed with a $1.1 million, seventh place finish in France. For the weekend it managed $4 million to push its running tally to a mere $28.9 million.
• The French film L'Enquête Corse held up well in its second weekend in France with $3.0 million raising its total in the market to $7.9 million.
• After three weeks at top spot, Downfall dropped to third with $2.8 million in Germany. The film has earned $28.4 million in that one market alone.
• The South Korean film, My Brother, earned another first place finish it its home territory. This week it earned $2.4 million pushing its running total to $7.8 million.
• The Bourne Supremacy could only manage $2 million over the weekend, but next week looks much better as the spy film opens in Germany.
• Buoyed by a $300,000 start in Taiwan, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story pulled in $1.8 million over the weekend for a $45.5 million international total so far. However, even with openings in Japan and Italy yet to come, this is a disappointing result when compared with its surprising success domestically.
• Bride and Prejudice dropped to fourth place in the U.K. with $1.6 million lifting its tally to $5.9 million so far.
• Five weeks and counting. That's how long I, Robot has topped the Japanese Box Office. This week it took in $1.3 million there and $1.6 million overall. Its international tally now sits at $187 million, including $29 million from Japan alone.
• Saw continues to impress in the U.K. dropping just 15% during its third weekend there. The $1.5 million it earned pushed its total in the market to $8.1 million.
• Garfield debuted in Thailand with $404 thousand. Overall the film earned $1.4 million to raise its international total to an impressive $114.1 million.
• With no new openings this week, Wimbledon's weekly take dropped to $1.4 million with a international tally of just $16 million.
• Hero dropped to second place in Italy with $1.1 million, which was enough to push its international total to $113 million.
• Exorcist: The Beginning bombed in Japan where it could only manage just over $500 thousand, about half of its $1.1 million weekend. After debuting in 13 markets the film as only manage $4 million so far.
• Hellboy held up reasonably well in Italy, and that helped the film earn $1 million this week for a total of $97 million worldwide.
• Bibi Blocksberg und das Geheimnis der blauen Eulen is one of three German films to finish in the top five in that country. This week the finish finished fourth with $1.0 million to raise its box office to $3.5 million in 3 weeks.
• King Arthur brought in $1.0 million for its third weekend in Italy. Internationally, the film has made $141.8 million, which is impressive, compared to the $51.9 million it made domestically. But a bit of disappointment when compared to its $90 million production budget.
• Layer Cake continues to show strong legs with a $1.0 million in its third weekend in the U.K. So far the film has earned $6.1 million but there is still no domestic release date.
• The Notebook just failed to make it a million dollar opening in Australia with $955,000, including sneaks. The film has not been able to translate its domestic success internationally as the film has only managed $9.3 million so far.
• Bad Education dropped just 20% in Italy, which allowed it to move up a spot with $900,000 and a third place finish.
• A Cinderella Story earned another $850,000, including $200,000 in a limited release in Brazil, to raise its international total to $17.6 million and its worldwide total to $69 million.
• Yesterday Once More debuted in its home market of Hong Kong with an impressive $800,000, first place finish.
• Open Water continues to have mixed debuts internationally. The film could only manage an average $750,000, third place finish in Australia, but early prediction are it will collapse next weekend. Internationally the film has only managed $17.5 million despite opening in most major markets.
• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind held up very well in its second weekend in France earning another $700,000. That pushed its total in the region to $1.9 million.
• Laura's Stern is showing amazing legs in Germany after earning $700,000 this week, which pushed its total there to just shy of $5 million.
• The Brazilian film, Dona da História, opened in top spot in its native land with $700,000.
• Spider-Man 2 managed fifth place, $600,000 weekend in Italy. That pushed its total in the market to $22.9 million and its worldwide take to $781.6 million worldwide.
• Ladder 49 debuted in three South-East Asian markets over the weekend with two first place and one second place finishes. Overall it brought in $500,000 in Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan.
• It is certainly a boom time for German cinema as Agnes und seine Brueder managed a ninth place, $400,000 opening in Germany, making it the fourth German film in the top ten in that country.
• Inside I'm Dancing could only earn $400,000 and a tenth place finish in its debut in the U.K.
• Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid saw its box office cut in half in Australia to just $400,000. Internationally the film has now made $18.6 million, which pushes its worldwide total to $50.1 million.
• Catwoman could only manage $350 thousand this weekend, but with its Japanese debut just a couple of weeks away, its fortunes should improve.
• Håkan Bråkan & Josef, which is the first Swedish film to feature a CG character opened in its native country with a $300,000, fourth place finish.
• For the second weekend in a row, Alien vs. Predator dropped more than 60% in Australia. This weekend, it landed at just $300,000 and that was only good enough for seventh place. Its international take now sits at $24.7 million.
• Shaun of the Dead's opening in Australia may have been a disappointment, but it held up reasonably well with $250,000. Its $775,000 in the market adds to its $13.7 million internationally.
• Fahrenheit 9/11 opened in fourth place in Hong Kong with $100,000 in a mere 8 theatres. The record breaking documentary now has $97.2 million internationally and $226 million worldwide.

Source: Variety
Date posted: 2004-10-20