International Box Office: Fast Five Takes Pole Position
May 11, 2011
Fast Five expanded worldwide and stormed into first place with $85.77 million on 7,363 screens in 58 markets for a total of $184.54 million internationally and $324.32 million worldwide. This is the biggest international weekend for an Universal film ever, just edging out King Kong's debut. It opened in 44 markets, finishing in first place in all of them. Highlights include France with $9.13 million on 500 screens, Mexico with $6.99 million on 1,743, Brazil with $4.85 million on 517, and Italy with $4.78 million on 533 screens over the weekend and $7.04 million in total. Meanwhile, the film held onto first place in Russia with $5.15 million on 1,100 screens over the weekend for a massive total of $22.64 million after two and it also repeated on top in Germany with $4.61 million on 645 screens over the weekend for a total of $16.72 million, also after two. Finally, the film completed the hattrick in Australia, leading the way for the third weekend in a row, with $1.97 million on 349 screens over the weekend lifting its total to $23.11 million. Fast Five doesn't have many more markets left to open in, but it is already an overwhelming success, so the studio should be ecstatic, so much so that extending the franchise is practically guaranteed at this point.
Thor slipped to second place with $44.97 million on 11,242 screens in 57 markets for totals of $176.13 million internationally and $241.85 million worldwide. Its biggest opening of the weekend came from China where it debuted with $2.3 million on 4,900 screens. The film remained in top spot in the U.K. with $3.19 million on 503 screens over the weekend, for a total of $15.58 million after two. While it also did strong business in Brazil ($3.36 million on 561 screens); in Mexico ($3.18 million on 1,471); and in Russia ($3.15 million on 1,013). The latest Marvel adaptation has already earned more worldwide than Hulk earned, while by this time next week its global box office should be on the same level as X-Men. This bodes well for Captain America's debut later this summer, and The Avengers, which opens in 2012.
Rio remained in third place with $15.89 million on 8,696 screens in 67 markets for a total of 292.23 million internationally and $407.43 million worldwide after a month of release. The lack of major openings are starting to take their toll on the film's weekend haul, but $400 million worldwide is still a fantastic run. It may already be in the black and it should sell fast on the lucrative home market.
Water For Elephants made its debut on this list in fourth place with $10.63 million on 3,826 screens in 45 markets for an early total of $20.85 million. It managed third place in France with $2.12 million on 438 screens. The film could only earn fourth place in both the U.K. ($2,07 million on 457 screens) and in Spain ($1.18 million on 324). It did place third in Italy, but was a non-factor with $545,000 on 317.
That was the last film to score $10 million or more on the international chart this week, but a little further down the list we find Priest in seventh place with $5.59 million on 1,311 screens in 4 markets. In Russia it opened in second place with $3.16 million on 550 screens, but in the U.K. it only managed eighth place with $648,000 on 260. The studio is obviously hoping its performance here is closer to the former than the latter.
Filed under: International Box Office, Thor, Priest, Rio, Fast Five, Water for Elephants