International Top Five - Pirates Reach Major Milestone

July 26, 2006

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest added another 10 markets to its international run as it again top the charts with $60.10 million on 6079 screens for a total of $214.10 million internationally. The film became the fifth film of the year to earn $200 million internationally and the third to cross $500 million worldwide. Among the host of number one openings this week were Japan at $16.65 million on 761 screens and Mexico with $5.67 million on 791 screens. Other impressive debuts include Brazil, ($3.1 million), Argentina ($1.3 million), Poland ($1.17 million), and Chile ($1.1 million). Its biggest market overall continues to be the U.K. where it added $7.19 million on 520 screens to its running tally of $58.48 million while it has topped $20 million on both Australia, ($21.68), and Russia, ($20.51). The film opens in Germany, France, and Spain in consecutive weekends before closing its international run with its Italian debut in September.

Superman Returns also hit a milestone this weekend as it added $16.35 million on 5004 screens in 38 markets for a total of $112.85 million internationally. The film will cross $300 million worldwide sometime during the midweek. This film suffered through a series of sharp drop-offs, including falling 59% in Mexico to $1.95 million on 518 screens for a three-week total of $10.52 million. It was marginally better in Spain down 54% to $1.57 million on 560 screens and in the U.K. down 46% to $4.33 million on 481 screens for totals of $7.99 million and $16.84 million in those two markets.

It was also a milestone weekend for Over the Hedge as it topped $100 million internationally. The film was able to do that with its $10.02 million weekend earned on 4291 screens in 35 markets and now sits with $108.49 million internationally. Its best new opening was in Belgium where it finished first with $542,000 on 100 screens over the weekend and $675,000 in total while its best market overall was Germany at $2.06 million on 833 screens over the weekend and $11.76 million in total.

A trio of major market debuts helped The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift climb one spot to fourth with $9.24 million on 2394 screens in 34 markets for a total of $55.09 million. In Spain the film finished first with $1.64 million on 225 screens while in France it had to settle for third with $1.9 million on 462. In the meantime, it opened in fourth place in South Korea with $545,000 on 127 screens over the weekend and $688,000 overall. This is not a great start by any stretch of the imagination, but it was nearly as much as the original earned there in total.

As it did last week, Cars slipped one more spot this weekend dropping to fifth with $7.51 million on 4119 screens in 36 markets lifting its international total to $96.69 million. Its biggest opening of the weekend was in South Korea where it had to settle for third place with $991,000 on 205 screens over the weekend and $1.12 million in total. Next weekend the film opens in the U.K. and that should be its best market and easily push it over the $100 million milestone.


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Filed under: International Box Office, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, Cars, Superman Returns, Over the Hedge, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift