International Box Office: China Runs a New Release to the Top

February 4, 2015

Running Man poster

Running Man opened in top spot in both China and on the International chart with $37.05 million over the weekend in its native market. Films in China tend to have short legs, most of the time. There's still too much uncertainty to really predict the film's final box office numbers after just this weekend's results. On a side note, it wasn't that long ago that it would be unthinkable for a film opening in just China to finish first on the international chart. Now it is relatively common.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies slipped to second place with $22.4 million on 9,500 screens in 57 markets for totals of $664.2 million internationally and $915.9 million worldwide. This includes $42.84 million in China, but that was for the full week, giving the film $92.92 million in that market after just ten days of release. The film is likely going to fade before reaching $1 billion, but this is still a massive hit for the studio.

Taken 3 was very close behind with $21.2 million in 61 markets for totals of $164.5 million internationally and $245.9 million worldwide. Its biggest new market was Mexico, where it made $3.5 million on 1,454 screens, which was enough for second place. It earned first place in Argentina with $1.3 million on 158.

Big Hero 6 remained in fourth place with $20.1 million in 37 markets for a totals of $266.6 million internationally and $484.7 million worldwide. The film opened in first place in the U.K., barely, with $6.52 million in 501 theaters. It rose to first place in South Korea with $4.45 million on 787 screens over the weekend for a two-week total of $12.73 million.

Boonie Bears: Mystical Winter opened in third place in China and fifth place internationally with $16.81 million over the weekend.

American Sniper fell to sixth place with $11.1 million on 2,300 screens in 30 markets for an international total of $67.3 million.

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water was next with $8.0 million in 5 theaters. Of this, $6.7 million was earned on 672 screens in Mexico. This is nearly twice as much as the original film made in total in that market.

The Theory of Everything slipped a spot to eighth with $7.5 million in 26 markets for an international total of $51.2 million after a month of release. Its biggest new release was in Australia, where it placed second with $1.3 million on 241 screens.

Kingsman: The Secret Service was next with $7.0 million on 689 theaters in two markets. The film opened in second place in the U.K. with $6.44 million in 533 theaters, which was less than $100,000 away from the first place film, Big Hero 6. The rest, $528,000, came from a first place opening on 156 screens in Sweden.

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb rounded out of the top ten with $6.8 million in 35 markets for totals of $204.7 million internationally and $314.5 million worldwide. The film opened in first place in Italy with $2.8 million on 416 screens.


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Filed under: International Box Office, The Theory of Everything, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Big Hero 6, Taken 3, The Theory of Everything, American Sniper