International Top Five - Ice has a Weekend for the Ages
April 12, 2006
Ice Age: The Meltdown was even more unstoppable during its second weekend of release scoring $94.7 million on 8,216 screens in 45 markets, which was one of the greatest three-day weekend on the international charts ever. It was another weekend of record openings with the film taking the number one opening for an animated film in several markets. Including in that list was Germany where the film opened with $14.16 million on 1061 screens over the weekend and $17.15 million including previews and the same can be said for its opening in Switzerland, ($2.76 million on 139 screens, $3.17 million including previews), and Denmark, ($1.27 million / $1.58 million on 92). Other huge openings include the U.K. with $17.02 million at 502 screens including previews, which was nearly 10 times its nearest competition and France with $12.5 million on 858. It also opened in first place in Australia taking in $3.87 million on 388 screens, which is not as strong as most other markets it has opened in. The best holdover for the film was Mexico where it dropped just 39% to $5.31 million on 1012 screens over the weekend for a two-week total of $18.05 million. The film now has $156 million internationally and should break $300 million worldwide before the weekend. It goes without saying that both those totals are the best 2006 has had to offer so far.
The Inside Man fell just 12% to $8.1 million on 2100 screens in 32 markets for a total of $35 million internationally helping it past the $100 million mark worldwide. The film was aided by a handful of openings including a first place, $1.77 million opening on 288 screens in Italy and $114,000 on 40 screens in New Zealand. It also topped $1 million during its third weekend in the U.K. with $1.38 million on 333 screens for a total of $9.03 million, which is about what the film made here when you take into account the relative sizes of the two markets. Next week the film opens in France and Spain where it should continue its impressive run.
Basic Instinct 2 fell apart during its second weekend of release slipping to third with $5.8 million on 3,452 screens in 42 markets. The film fell from second to eighth in Germany falling 52% in the process to $428,000 on 414 screens over the weekend and $1.53 million in total. And that was one of its better holdovers. One of the worst came in South Korea where the film plummeted 75% to $252,000 on 148 screens over the weekend for a tiny $1.85 million total after two weeks. On the plus side, it did open in second place in Belgium with $263,000 on 60 screens.
V for Vendetta climbed into fourth place with $5.05 million on 2000 screens in 41 markets for an international total of $32.1 million. The film opened in second place in both Spain, ($1.5 million on 303 screens), and Brazil, ($388,000 on 100). So far the film has pulled in $94 million worldwide and should cross the $100 million mark by next weekend and while that is a disappointing total, it is not so low that the studio won't earn a profit sooner than later.
Rounding out the top five was La Doublure as it fell 45% in its native France with $3.88 million over the weekend and $11 million in total. That is a steeper drop-off than most films have to deal with in the market, but the competition was stiff so the filmmakers were probably very happy with that result.
Filed under: International Box Office, Ice Age: The Meltdown, Inside Man, V for Vendetta, Basic Instinct 2