International Top Five - Impossible Start

May 10, 2006

Mission: Impossible 3 started its international run this weekend in first place with $70.03 million on 6997 screens on 56 markets. With a per screen average just the tiniest margin over $10,000, it is no man's land between hit and miss; it made a very healthy amount of money, but still not as much as many expected. Its international debut very similar domestic opening in that way. Mission: Impossible 3 opened in almost every major market over the weekend taking first place in pretty much all of them. Its biggest market was the U.K. where the film earned $8.86 million on 512 screens over the weekend and $10.00 million in total. It did just almost as well in South Korea with $7.22 million on 422 screens over the weekend and $9.17 million. On the other hand, the film struggled in Germany with just $2.75 million on 802 screens. While that was nearly three times more than the nearest competitor, comparatively speaking, it was merely a fraction of what it earned in other major markets. In some ways it was even worse in France where the film lost out to the sophomore stint of a local film finishing second with $5.00 million on 728 screens. In both those markets the box office was hurt by anit-Tom Cruise sentiment, which focuses on his controversial beliefs. (These will remain nameless, partially out of respect, but mainly because of a fear of lawsuits.)

Moving on.

Ice Age: The Meltdown was knocked out of top spot as it plummeted 57% to $12.95 million on 7282 screens in 45 markets. While this was a huge drop-off, the film has already earned $407.83 million internationally and is screaming towards the $600 million mark worldwide. The film had 60% or even 70% drop-offs in most major markets thanks to the competition, but still earned more than $1 million in Italy, ($1.97 million on 506 screens and $19.85 million in total), Japan, ($1.23 million on 416 screens for a total of $6.69 million), and the U.K., ($1.09 million on 467 screens for a $51.69 million total).

For the second weekend in a row, it was a local film taking third place on the international charts, but this time it was the Japanese film, Limit Of Love: Umizaru. It topped its native market with $8.54 million on 315 screens and that's more than three times its nearest competitor, fellow local film, Detective Conan: Requiem Of The Detectives. (On a side note, I love that name.)

The second local film in the top five was Camping, as the French film three slipped 30% to $6.77 million on 607 screens in 3 markets for a two-week total of $21.55 million. The film earned the vast majority of its total in France where it remained in first place with $5.70 million on 575 screens for a total of $15.10 million after just two weeks.

Scary Movie 4 fell nearly 60% to landing in fifth place with $4.00 million on 2646 screens in 29 markets for a total of $56.19 million. The film had no major or minor openings this weekend and its best market overall was Germany with $742,000 on 661 screens. That was a whopping 68% lower than last weekend, but still enough to raise its total to $8.95 million. As for the film's long-term potential, it should top Scary Movie 3 worldwide even though it will finish well below its predecessor domestically.


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Filed under: International Box Office, Ice Age: The Meltdown, Mission: Impossible III, Scary Movie 4