"Snow White and the Huntsman" places second while Ridley Scott's "Prometheus" debuts No. 3 in 15 markets.
Taking the No. 1 box office spot overseas for the second consecutive weekend, Sony’s Men In Black III bagged $79.1 million on the foreign theatrical circuit – down a mild-mannered 38.9% from its opening offshore round – from 19,992 venues in 90 markets, lifting its foreign gross total to $275.4 million.
Finishing No. 1 in 20 territories, director Barry Sonnenfeld’s special effects extravaganza in 3D costarring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin showed real staying power across many key markets, with China down just 29% with a $15.5-million take from 5,207 locations.
In Germany, the drop was a mere 2% ($5.3 million from 987 venues) while the U.K. tally actually increased by 2% to $4.9 million from 913 sites. In Russia and China, MIB3 has rolled up a total combined gross of $81.8 million.
Opening No. 2 overseas overall was Universal’s Snow White and the Huntsman, which collected $39.3 million at 4,487 venues in 45 territories.
Director Rupert Sanders’ period action fantasy costarringKristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron(also the costar of Prometheus) premiered first in 30 markets with the U.K. the best (ranking third with $5.5 million drawn from 476). Bucking the European sports calendar, Snow White debuts this week in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Bulgaria, Latvia and The Netherlands.
With the European soccer championship beginning Friday (June 8) in Poland and the Ukraine, there is a certain make-it-while-you can frenzy at play this round on the foreign theatrical circuit before the nearly month-long sporting event (concluding July 1) monopolizes audiences in front of television sets.
Fox rushed the overseas opening of the weekend’s No. 3 title, Prometheus, a week before director-coproducer Ridley Scott’s horror-sci/fi title -- loosely linked to his 1979 Alien -- debuts in the U.S. and Canada. The studio figured this made sense in 15 selected markets including the Ukraine, France, the Benelux countries, Scandinavia, Russia and the U.K.
Opening round drew $35 million from 4,695 locations (3,300 spots in 3D) for a per-venue average of $7,461. Prometheus ranked No. 1 in 14 of its opening territories with Russia drawing $11.1 million from 1,670 situations.
Three biggest European territories were the U.K. ($9.99 million at 1,019 locations, a market record for a Ridley Scott title), France ($7 million from 665 sites) and Sweden ($1.59 million at 172 spots), both of which were the second-highest market openings so far this year. Openings in Australia, South Korea and Taiwan are on tap this week.
“We are holding back in Germany and Spain where (Euro soccer championship) TV viewership is highest and June admissions soft,” said Craig Dehmel, Fox International’s senior v.p. of sales and strategic planning. In Italy, Fox has decided not to play Prometheus “until after the summer lull, when business picks back up in the fall.”
In any case, the highly watched 16-team tournament will put a dent in June film attendance generally in Europe much like the World Cup soccer championships in South Africa did two years ago.
The Euro Cup, the biggest sporting event staged in Eastern Europe since the 1980 summer Olympics in Moscow and the 1984 Winter Games in Sarajevo, is likely to create continental distribution hassles for the Hollywood majors.
This week, for example, Paramount is releasing DreamWorks Animation’s Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted in 28 foreign markets this week, including only five in Continental and Eastern Europe.
No. 4 on the weekend, Marvel’s The Avengers -- which opened overseas six rounds ago and a week before its domestic bow -- has surpassed the $800-million foreign gross mark ($802.5 million) after a sixth weekend that provided $12.4 million from 53 territories. Worldwide, the super-hero mélange has drawn $1.355 billion making it distributor Disney’s highest gross film globally.
Taking in $32.4 million so far in its two top territories -- Japan ($18.7 million) and France ($13.7 million) -- Warner Bros.’ Dark Shadows has rolled up a foreign gross total of $120.5 million. DirectorTim Burton’s big-screen version starring Johnny Depp of a vintage TV soap opera took in $7.2 million on the weekend at some 4,000 screens in 52 territories. It ranks No. 5 on the weekend.
Paramount’s The Dictator has passed the $60 million gross mark overseas ($60.6 million) thanks partially to a $6.46 million weekend at 2,865 sites in 30 markets. A No. 3 third round in Germany drew $1.4 million from 515 locations for a market cume of $8.8 million. The Sacha Baron Cohen comedy opens this week in Israel and Hong Kong.
Taking the No. 2 spot after Men In Black III in Australia is Lionsgate’s What To Expect When You’reExpecting. The comedy starring Cameron Diaz opened (via local distributor Roadshow) at 245 spots and drew an estimated $2.3 million. Weekend overall at multiple territories drew $3.7 million, lifting the film’s international cume to $8.7 million.
Opening No. 9 in the U.K. was Entertainment One’s release of director Ken Loach’s The Angels' Share, which played in main competition at this year’s Cannes International Film Festival. Opener at just 73 screens for the social realist fairy tale about the unemployed young drew an estimated $800,000.
Director Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom from Universal/Focus Features drew a No. 10 ranking in the U.K. with a second round tally of $330,000 from 133 playdates for a 10-day market cume of $1.1 million
Dropping about 25% in its third round in France was UGC’s release of director Jacques Audiard’s Un gout de rouille et d’os (Rust & Bone). The drama about an ex-boxer (Matthias Schoenaerts) who takes up with a trainer of killer whales (Marion Cotillard) drew an estimated $1.4 million at 460 playdates, lifting its market cume to $8.5 million. The film ranks No. 3 in France after Prometheus andMen in Black III.
Other international cumes: Universal’s American Pie: Reunion, $169.8 million (after a $2.4 million weekend at 1,600 sites in 31 markets); Hugo, $81.3 million in Paramount-handled territories including China where the market opening drew $2.67 from some 6,000 dates; Universal’s Battleship, $235 million; Fox’s The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, $82.16 million; Universal’s Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, $97 million; Fox’s The Descendants, $94.1 million; and Fox’s Titanic 3D, $286.5 million.
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