International Details - Escaping the Top Five

January 25, 2009

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

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa fell from second to sixth with $9.07 million on 5601 screens in 48 markets for a total of $380.42 million. No openings hurt the film this past weekend, and its only $1 million markets this past weekend were South Korea at $1.20 million on 432 screens and Poland at $1.09 million on 130. The film has made $3.76 million after two weeks in the former and $7.72 million after three weeks in the latter.

  • Chandni Chowk to China opened in seventh place with $7.86 million on 1535 screens in 23 markets, which is a good result for an Indian film. However, it was well back of Ghajini's opening from a few weeks ago, despite playing on more screens.
  • Slumdog Millionaire picked the perfect time to expand internationally as it seems every week there's major Awards Season news. This past weekend it shot up into eighth place with $6.95 million on 626 screens in 6 markets giving the film a total of $17.68 million so far. The film opened in fourth place in France with $1.36 million on just 126 screens, while it earned sixth place in neighboring Belgium with $166,000 on 16 screens. Over in the U.K. the film broke records for highest sophomore increase for a saturation level release up 44% climbing into first place with $3.86 million on 330 screens over the weekend for a total of $8.75 million after two.
  • Bride Wars also saw major growth this weekend more than doubling last week's haul and up nine spots to ninth place with $6.15 million on 1123 screens in 16 markets for a total of $10.12 million. The film opened in first place in Australia with $2.16 million on 286 screens, while it had to settle for third in Spain with $1.17 million on 282 screens. During its second weekend in the U.K., it was down just 23% to $1.93 million on 413 screens, while it now has $5.66 million after two weeks of release in that market.
  • Bedtime Stories fell to tenth place with $5.66 million on 3197 screens in 27 markets for a total of $69.11 million. Its best market of the weekend was Mexico where it earned a shade under $1.00 million on 565 screens over the weekend for a total of $7.52 million after three. Its best market in total is the U.K. with $11.32 million, including 729,000 on 440 screens over the weekend.
  • Transporter 3 was next with $4.89 million on 1305 screens in 21 markets for a total of $48.24 million. The film has already made more internationally than the previous two films in the franchise, and it is about two weeks away from doing the same worldwide. The film slipped to second place in Germany with $1.97 million on 478 screens over the weekend and $8.45 million in total. Meanwhile it remained in fourth place in South Korea with $1.12 million on 307 screens over the weekend and $3.82 million in total.
  • No major openings hurt Bolt, again, but it was only down one place to 12th with $4.61 million on 2972 screens in 30 markets for a total of $83.78 million. The film did take top spot in its debut in Argentina with an estimated $496,000 while its best market was Australia where it added $798,000 on 285 screens over the weekend for a total of $5.82 million after three. At this pace, $100 million internationally and $200 million worldwide is assured, and $250 million worldwide is not out of the question.
  • The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button had its best showing on the international chart with $4.37 million on 1050 screens in 8 markets, which was enough for 13th place over the weekend and $14.21 million in total. The film opened in first place in Mexico with $1.40 million on 350 screens, but overall I think the film could struggle to match its domestic total internationally. It if does, profitability could be pushed back till the ancillary market (hotel, airplanes, etc.).
  • Beverly Hills Chihuahua returned to the international chart in 14th place with $3.65 million on 912 screens in 12 markets for a total of $28.99 million. This includes a sixth place, $1.51 million opening on 422 screens in the U.K., which is lower than expected. It was better in Italy with a fifth place, $1.71 million opening on 248 screens, but that was still only adequate.
  • De L'Autre Côté Du Lit fell to third place in France with $2.87 million on 578 screens, while it lande din 15th place internationally with $3.61 million on 614 screens in 3 markets. In total the film has $8.74 million, including $6.99 million in its native market.
  • Defiance added $3.55 million on 1053 screens in 6 markets for a total of $8.49 million. In France the film opened in sixth place with $997,000 on 238 screens while it added $1.18 million on 328 screens during its second weekend in the U.K. for a total of $3.72 million.
  • Role Models is doing poorly compared to its domestic total, but amazingly compared to original expectations. That's one of the curses of being a surprise hit domestically. Over the weekend it added $3.40 million on 563 screens in 8 markets for a total of $8.36 million. This includes a second place, $1.25 million opening on 178 screens in Australia, while it fell to third place in the U.K. with a still impressive $2.10 million on 353 screens over the weekend for a total of $6.00 million after two. The film opens in Spain at the end of the month, France at the beginning of February, and Germany at the end of February; those will be huge tests to see if this movie will be a hit internationally, or if it will only perform well in English-speaking markets. I fear the latter will be true.
  • Saw V returned to the charts in 18th place with $3.39 million on 998 screens in 9 markets for a total of $53.11 million. The lion's share of that came from the film's third place opening in Germany, where it managed $2.38 million on 322 screens, which appears to be the film's final major market.
  • Kansen Retto, a.k.a. Pandemic, opened in first place in Japan and 19th place internationally with $3.34 million on 324 screens.
  • Journey to the Centre of the Earth returned to the chart in 20th place with $3.30 million on 463 screens in 3 markets for a total of $128.96 million. This includes a second place, $2.74 million opening on 276 screens in Italy.
  • Marley & Me opened in a handful of markets helping it climb to 21st place with $2.98 million on 1167 screens in 13 markets for a total of $13.07 million. This includes $1.07 million on 519 screens in Mexico, but that was not a strong start. It film has made $4.93 million in three weeks in Australia, including $641,000 on 220 screens this past weekend, but that's only average there. A midlevel hit, nothing more.
  • The Day the Earth Stood Still plummeted from ninth to 22nd with $2.88 million on 2068 screens in 23 markets for a total of $146.61 million. The film opened in second place in Poland with $524,000 on 100 screens.
  • Niu Qi Chong Tian, a.k.a. Pleasant Goat And Big Big Wolf opened in second place in China and 23rd overall with $2.57 million on 155 screens.
  • Revolutionary Road started its international run off in 24th place with $2.46 million on 510 screens in 5 markets. Most of that came from Germany where the film made $1.40 million on 348 screens, which was enough for fifth place.
  • Changeling added $2.41 million on 1075 screens in 32 markets for a total of $42.92 million internationally. It fell from 21st to 25th despite a number of openings; however, the biggest of these was Russia, where it made $292,000 on 95 screens, landing in eighth place in the process.
  • Che: Part One fell to 26th place with $2.37 million on 861 screens in 7 markets for a total of $19.84 million. The film did open in Mexico, but bombed with just $156,000 on 114 screens. It does have plenty of markets left to open in, but I have trouble imagining that it will turn its box office fortunes around at this point.
  • My Blood Valentine 3D opened in 27th place with $2.05 million on 191 screens in 2 markets. $1.96 million of that came from 189 screens in the U.K., where it opened in fourth place.
  • A Frozen Flower remained in first place South Korea with $1.93 million on 503 screens over the weekend for a total of $15.14 million after three.
  • Fellow South Korean film, Overspeed Scandal, was right behind with $1.88 million on 357 screens over the weekend and now has $31.14 million after six.
  • If I Were You 2 added $1.80 million on 311 screens over the weekend in Brazil for a three-week total of $10.61 million.
The Unborn opened this week but missed the top 30 with $1.70 million on 263 screens in 2 markets for a total of $2.08 million, which includes a second place, $1.58 million opening in Spain. The Wrestler was right behind with $1.54 million on 337 screens in 4 market over the weekend and $1.62 million in total. That film made $1.18 million on 227 screens in the U.K., which was enough for 8th place there.


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Filed under: International Box Office, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Marley & Me, Slumdog Millionaire, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Bolt, Bedtime Stories, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Role Models, Bride Wars, Saw V, My Bloody Valentine, The Unborn, Changeling, Transporter 3, Defiance, The Wrestler, Revolutionary Road, Che, Part 1: The Argentine