Around the World Roundup: 'Borat' Doesn't Budge
Topping the foreign box office again, Borat pulled in $15.6 million over the weekend, easing 14 percent and propelled mostly by holdovers without any major openings. The Sacha Baron Cohen mockumentary's total grew to $42.8 million, most of which coming from the United Kingdom where it has grossed $26.7 million, surpassing Cohen's previous movie, Ali G Indahouse.
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan led Germany and Austria's box office again as well with $3.1 million and $293,000 respectively, but it is mostly playing in smaller markets, including debuts in Bulgaria ($51,000 from 10 screens), Greece ($287,000 from 17) and Serbia & Montenegro ($29,000 from 4).
Saw III ripped into second place internationally with an estimated $9.7 million for a $30 million total. Spain was the horror sequel's highlight, posting an impressive $3.1 million debut. Although the country is known to lap up horror, the first two Saw movies were regarded as disappointments, but Saw III beat Saw II's opening by 230 percent and grossed more than the original did in its entire run.
Placing third, Open Season snagged $9 million from 53 territories, pushing its total to $63.5 million. Solid but disappointing debuts were widely reported, including Spain's $1.7 million from 405 screens and Germany's $1.9 million from 757 screens.
The Devil Wears Prada dropped two spots to fourth with $7.5 million for a $163 million tally. South Korea was the fashion comedy's top market, grossing $1 million there for a $7 million total, and the movie will most likely get a boost next weekend when it hits Japan.
Ranking fifth, The Departed grabbed $7.3 million from 36 markets, accumulating $59.6 million. The crime drama opened to a strong No.1 in Brazil ($721,000), Denmark ($408,000) and Portugal ($85,000) and ranked just behind Borat in the Netherlands ($512,100) and Finland ($85,000).
Meanwhile, A Good Year is having a bad run. After a disappointing launch in the U.K., A Good Year mustered just $983,000 in star Russell Crowe's homeland of Australia. In Germany, a $1.2 million fourth place start was the best the picture could do, but the weekend also saw meager results in Russia ($263,000) and Taiwan ($193,000). The overall tally is $8.1 million thus far.
Flags of Our Fathers opened poorly in Italy ($584,000), Greece ($135,000) and the Philippines ($77,500), but continued to do well in Japan. In its third weekend there, the World War 2 drama captured $891,000, down 25 percent for a $7 million total. Japan's biggest draw, though, is the local Death Note 2 (Desu nôto 2), which abated 28 percent from its opening for a $19.4 million total and will top its predecessor's $24 million final gross.
In the U.K., The Prestige delivered a potent $2.25 million debut from 228 playdates. Early in its foreign campaign, the magician drama has made $11.8 million overall.
Babel has had a good international run so far, including Italy's $2.5 million, the Netherlands' $443,068 and Sweden's $702,310, but its first big opening sprang from Mexico, the home of its director, Alejandro González Iñárritu. The ensemble drama nabbed $1.7 million from 289 screens, topping Iñárritu's 21 Grams and Amores Perros.
RELATED LINK
• International Box Office Results
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan led Germany and Austria's box office again as well with $3.1 million and $293,000 respectively, but it is mostly playing in smaller markets, including debuts in Bulgaria ($51,000 from 10 screens), Greece ($287,000 from 17) and Serbia & Montenegro ($29,000 from 4).
Saw III ripped into second place internationally with an estimated $9.7 million for a $30 million total. Spain was the horror sequel's highlight, posting an impressive $3.1 million debut. Although the country is known to lap up horror, the first two Saw movies were regarded as disappointments, but Saw III beat Saw II's opening by 230 percent and grossed more than the original did in its entire run.
Placing third, Open Season snagged $9 million from 53 territories, pushing its total to $63.5 million. Solid but disappointing debuts were widely reported, including Spain's $1.7 million from 405 screens and Germany's $1.9 million from 757 screens.
The Devil Wears Prada dropped two spots to fourth with $7.5 million for a $163 million tally. South Korea was the fashion comedy's top market, grossing $1 million there for a $7 million total, and the movie will most likely get a boost next weekend when it hits Japan.
Ranking fifth, The Departed grabbed $7.3 million from 36 markets, accumulating $59.6 million. The crime drama opened to a strong No.1 in Brazil ($721,000), Denmark ($408,000) and Portugal ($85,000) and ranked just behind Borat in the Netherlands ($512,100) and Finland ($85,000).
Meanwhile, A Good Year is having a bad run. After a disappointing launch in the U.K., A Good Year mustered just $983,000 in star Russell Crowe's homeland of Australia. In Germany, a $1.2 million fourth place start was the best the picture could do, but the weekend also saw meager results in Russia ($263,000) and Taiwan ($193,000). The overall tally is $8.1 million thus far.
Flags of Our Fathers opened poorly in Italy ($584,000), Greece ($135,000) and the Philippines ($77,500), but continued to do well in Japan. In its third weekend there, the World War 2 drama captured $891,000, down 25 percent for a $7 million total. Japan's biggest draw, though, is the local Death Note 2 (Desu nôto 2), which abated 28 percent from its opening for a $19.4 million total and will top its predecessor's $24 million final gross.
In the U.K., The Prestige delivered a potent $2.25 million debut from 228 playdates. Early in its foreign campaign, the magician drama has made $11.8 million overall.
Babel has had a good international run so far, including Italy's $2.5 million, the Netherlands' $443,068 and Sweden's $702,310, but its first big opening sprang from Mexico, the home of its director, Alejandro González Iñárritu. The ensemble drama nabbed $1.7 million from 289 screens, topping Iñárritu's 21 Grams and Amores Perros.
RELATED LINK
• International Box Office Results
