International Details - Down Under goes Over $100 million

January 18, 2009

The top five on the international scene were published on Wednesday and can be found here.

Australia reached a major milestone this past weekend as it topped $100 million internationally. Over the weekend the film added $12.33 million on 4901 screens in 55 markets for a total of $103.30 million internationally and $151.06 million worldwide. Additionally, with openings in Italy, Brazil, China, Russia, and Japan still ahead, the film has a shot at $200 million worldwide. That would be enough to cover the film's production budget, after taking into account Australia's generous tax incentives.

• Bedtime Stories fell from second to seventh with $9.70 million on 3487 screens in 28 markets for a total of $59.85 million. This includes Mexico, where it repeated on top of the chart with $1.45 million on 600 screens over the weekend for a total of $5.88 million after two. The film rose to third place in Russia with $1.92 million on 455 screens over the weekend for $7.06 million after two. Meanwhile in the U.K. it topped $10 million after three weeks of release; over the weekend it made $1.22 million on 450 screens for a total of $10.59 million. With its Italian debut this weekend and South Korea the weekend after, the film is still on track to reach $100 million internationally and shortly after should become Adam Sandler biggest hit internationally.
• Transporter 3 returned to the international chart in eighth place with $8.42 million on 1189 screens in 20 markets for a total of $42.59 million, which is significantly more than it made domestically. Most of its weekend haul came from the film's first place opening in Germany where it secured $5.03 million on 478 screens; however, it was not as successful in South Korea placing fourth with a still decent $1.70 million on 320 screens over the weekend and $2.02 million in total. With a film more significant markets ahead of it, the film could reach $100 million worldwide, which would be the highest total for the franchise by a large margin.
• The Day the Earth Stood Still's biggest opening of the past weekend came in Brazil where it had to settle for second place with $1.74 million on 339 screens. It also added $1.41 million on 535 screens in Japan lifting its total to $22.95 million in that market. In total, the film added $5.82 million on 3638 screens in 34 markets for a total of $140.07 million after a month of release.
• No major openings hurt Bolt, as it stumbled from fifth to tenth with $5.49 million on 2625 screens in 29 markets for a total of $75.53 million. It climbed a spot in Australia to third with $1.30 million on 297 screens for a total of $4.18 million. Next up for the film is Germany on the 22nd, while it opens in the U.K. at the beginning of February and doesn't end its run till August with its Japanese debut.
• The Inhabited Island continued its reign in Russia added $5.12 million on 916 screens over the weekend for a total of $18.92 million after two. Add in the Ukraine, and the movie landed in 11th place internationally with $5.48 million on 1004 screens for a total of $19.88 million.
• De L'Autre Côté Du Lit opened in second place in France and 12th place overall with $4.29 million on 612 screens.
• Che: Part One reached 13th on the international charts with $3.69 million on 764 screens in 5 markets for a total of $15.04 million. Of the weekend haul, $1.57 million was earned on 380 screens in France, giving the film third place there, while it added $296,000 on just 84 screens in the U.K. for a total of $1.22 million after two weeks of semi-wide release.
• Defiance opened in 14th place with $3.66 million on 777 screens in 3 markets over the weekend and $3.73 million in total. The film's biggest opening came in the U.K. where it placed fourth with $1.70 million on 326 screens over the weekend for a total of $1.87 million. On the other hand, it placed second in Spain with $1.39 million on 284 screens. The final market was South Korea, but the film struggled there landing in sixth place with just $383,000 on 201 screens over the weekend for a total of $448,000.
• Ghajini slipped to 15th place with $3.65 million on 843 screens in 16 markets, but with $34.12 million after three weeks of release, it is still on pace to top Dhoom 2's record for an Indian film.
• Role Models opened in 16th place with $3.58 million on 370 screens in 4 markets over the weekend for a total of $3.68 million. Of this total, $3.49 million was earned on 352 screens in the U.K., where the film was able to pull out a first place debut. Its first real test comes at the end of January when it debuts in Spain; if the film can do well in non-English markets, then it will be a big hit internationally. Even if it can't, and that seems likely, it has already made more than enough to make the studio happy.
• Slumdog Millionaire reached the chart for the first time in its run with $3.48 million on 446 screens in 3 markets for a still early total of $8.08 million. The film placed second in the U.K. with $2.73 million on 324 screens. It also has $2.09 million after five weeks in Australia (including $438,000 on 35 screens this past weekend) and $2.78 million after six weeks in Italy (including $234,000 on 87 screens).
• Bride Wars opened in 18th place with $2.77 million on 433 screens in 3 markets, including $2.57 million on 410 screens during its third place debut in the U.K.
• A Frozen Flower remained potent in South Korea down just 19% to $2.74 million on 509 screens over the weekend and $12.57 million after two. That was enough for first place in its native market and 19th place internationally.
• The Russian film Stilyagi returned to the international chart in 20th place with $2.65 million on 939 screens in 2 markets for a total of $14.09 million.
• Changeling climbed a spot to 21st with $2.54 million on 953 screens in 23 markets for a total of $39.56 million. The film had a number of midlevel market debuts this past weekend, including Sweden where it landed in fifth place with $155,000 on 44 screens.
• The Tale of Despereaux fell to 22nd place with $2.25 million on 2001 screens in 19 markets of a total of just 17.47 million so far. The film opened in Australia last weekend, but bombed opening in 12th place with $399,000 on 193 screens. That's such a low total, one almost assumes it was just the previews.
• If You Are The One suffered the worst week-to-week performance on the chart down more than 70% to $2.16 million on 636 screens in 2 markets. However, most of that came from China where a local hit devastated the competition, and with $44.35 million after four weeks of releases, it is still a smash hit.
• Marley & Me added $2.14 million on 534 screens in 8 markets for a total of $8.69 million. Of that total, $3.66 million was earned in two weeks in Australia, including $1.21 million on 222 screens this past weekend.
• Overspeed Scandal remained in 25th place internationally and second place in South Korea with $2.12 million on 360 screens over the weekend and the film now has $29.02 million after six weeks of release.
• If I Were You 2 remained in first place in Brazil with $1.91 million on 297 screens over the weekend for a total of $7.40 million after two.
• After more than a month of release, WALL-E is still in first place in Japan. This past weekend it added $1.83 million on 449 screens in that market for a total of $38.35 million. Overall it added $1.88 million on 523 screens in 6 markets for a total of $303.58 million internationally and $527.39 million worldwide.
• Lovey Dovey 2 earned $1.80 million on 808 screens in 2 markets for a total of $18.47 million. Of this total, $17.11 million was earned in Russia, including $1.61 million on 755 screens during a fourth place performance this past weekend.
• The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button remained in the top 30, barely, with $1.61 million on 341 screens in 3 markets. This includes a second place opening in the Philippines with $265,000 on 37 screens, while it added $1.16 million on 248 screens during the weekend in Australia for a total there of $7.81 million after three.
• Ip Man fell to 30th place with $1.58 million on 724 screens in 4 markets over the weekend for a total of $21.03 million after a month of release.

Filed under: International Box Office, WALL-E, Marley & Me, Slumdog Millionaire, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Bolt, Bedtime Stories, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Role Models, Bride Wars, Australia, Changeling, Transporter 3, Defiance, Che, Part 1: The Argentine