Around the World Roundup: 'Beowulf' Tops Another Modest Weekend
Beowulf led another soft weekend at the foreign box office, grossing $26 million from 43 markets. With $48.4 million overall, director Robert Zemeckis' computer-animated spectacle has been on the low end of its genre thus far, though nearly a tenth of its gross has come from 3D presentations, an inordinately high amount considering the low IMAX and digital screen counts abroad. Among openings, the picture was buoyant in Russia with $4.1 million from 502 screens and good in Spain with $3 million from 450 screens, but failed to spark much interest elsewhere.
In France, Beowulf was forgettable with a fourth place $1.9 million opening from 481 screens, and it was paltry in Poland, grossing just $351,213 from 72 screens below Bee Movie's second weekend and fellow debut 1408. Other openings in Mexico ($1.9 million from 512 screens) and Portugal ($457,743 from 62 screens) were fair if not disappointing. In holdovers, Beowulf stumbled outside of the United Kingdom (down 33 percent) and Germany (off 35 percent). It dove 54 percent in South Korea, 46 percent in Italy and 52 percent in Taiwan.
American Gangster generated $10.8 million from 15 territories in a weekend that saw stable holds across the board. The lack of significant openings kept its fate uncertain, tallying $30.4 million. The crime drama waned 31 percent in the U.K. for a terrific total of $11.7 million, and it eased 30 percent in Germany and 39 percent in a crowded French market. The movie also registered two strong openings in Norway ($392,608 from 37 screens) and Sweden ($465,238 from 59).
The Heartbreak Kid continued to distance itself from its poor domestic showing, adding $7.8 million over the weekend for a $62.5 million total. The comedy had a superb launch in Australia, taking in $2.1 million from 287 screens, which was the largest opening there in two months. It also impressed in Hong Kong, dethroning Beowulf with a $247,819 debut from 25 screens, and its holdovers took average hits.
Enchanted began in fourth place with a respectable $7.8 million from nine territories. The fantasy comedy's highlight was Spain, where it conjured a fantastic $3.2 million opening from 350 screens and topped Beowulf's debut despite playing on 100 fewer screens. Its start was considerably larger than The Pink Panther and Chicken Little but lower than Eragon. Elsewhere, Enchanted led in Colombia ($265,016 from 86) and Ecuador ($191,815 from 34), was solid in Asia and posted a second-ranked $2.4 million opening in Russia.
With $4.7 million, Saw IV climbed back into the Top Five thanks to a potent No. 1 opening in France. The horror sequel led four other new movies (including Beowulf) even though it was playing on the fewest amount of screens, grossing $2.2 million from 197. It was less than Saw III but higher than the first two Saw pictures. Saw IV's overall total rose to $44.5 million.
Several movies saw their first light overseas over the weekend. Hitman led the bunch with $1.3 million from 12 markets. Highlights included Indonesia ($150,355 from 38 screens), Malaysia (a top-ranked $224,449 from 37) and the Philippines ($244,329 from 32 screens). However, there were more misses than hits as seen in Taiwan, where the movie registered a fourth place opening of $100,000 from 40 screens, and in Lebanon with just $19,321 from 6 screens.
The Mist opened day-and-date with the United States in Russia and the Ukraine to modest results. The Stephen King adaptation landed in third place in Russia with $1 million from 235 screens and grabbed $79,316 from 25 screens in the Ukraine.
The Darjeeling Limited reached its first foreign destinations. The Wes Anderson comedy topped the U.K. with $905,255 from 192 screens, but was less than Anderson's previous movies The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and The Royal Tenenbaums. It also opened in Brazil with a less impressive $98,798 from 20 screens, ranking 11th.
Also kicking off internationally was August Rush. The drama recorded a dismal $741,522 start from 337 screens in the U.K.
RELATED LINKS
• Foreign Weekend Box Office Results
• International Box Office Home Page
In France, Beowulf was forgettable with a fourth place $1.9 million opening from 481 screens, and it was paltry in Poland, grossing just $351,213 from 72 screens below Bee Movie's second weekend and fellow debut 1408. Other openings in Mexico ($1.9 million from 512 screens) and Portugal ($457,743 from 62 screens) were fair if not disappointing. In holdovers, Beowulf stumbled outside of the United Kingdom (down 33 percent) and Germany (off 35 percent). It dove 54 percent in South Korea, 46 percent in Italy and 52 percent in Taiwan.
American Gangster generated $10.8 million from 15 territories in a weekend that saw stable holds across the board. The lack of significant openings kept its fate uncertain, tallying $30.4 million. The crime drama waned 31 percent in the U.K. for a terrific total of $11.7 million, and it eased 30 percent in Germany and 39 percent in a crowded French market. The movie also registered two strong openings in Norway ($392,608 from 37 screens) and Sweden ($465,238 from 59).
The Heartbreak Kid continued to distance itself from its poor domestic showing, adding $7.8 million over the weekend for a $62.5 million total. The comedy had a superb launch in Australia, taking in $2.1 million from 287 screens, which was the largest opening there in two months. It also impressed in Hong Kong, dethroning Beowulf with a $247,819 debut from 25 screens, and its holdovers took average hits.
Enchanted began in fourth place with a respectable $7.8 million from nine territories. The fantasy comedy's highlight was Spain, where it conjured a fantastic $3.2 million opening from 350 screens and topped Beowulf's debut despite playing on 100 fewer screens. Its start was considerably larger than The Pink Panther and Chicken Little but lower than Eragon. Elsewhere, Enchanted led in Colombia ($265,016 from 86) and Ecuador ($191,815 from 34), was solid in Asia and posted a second-ranked $2.4 million opening in Russia.
With $4.7 million, Saw IV climbed back into the Top Five thanks to a potent No. 1 opening in France. The horror sequel led four other new movies (including Beowulf) even though it was playing on the fewest amount of screens, grossing $2.2 million from 197. It was less than Saw III but higher than the first two Saw pictures. Saw IV's overall total rose to $44.5 million.
Several movies saw their first light overseas over the weekend. Hitman led the bunch with $1.3 million from 12 markets. Highlights included Indonesia ($150,355 from 38 screens), Malaysia (a top-ranked $224,449 from 37) and the Philippines ($244,329 from 32 screens). However, there were more misses than hits as seen in Taiwan, where the movie registered a fourth place opening of $100,000 from 40 screens, and in Lebanon with just $19,321 from 6 screens.
The Mist opened day-and-date with the United States in Russia and the Ukraine to modest results. The Stephen King adaptation landed in third place in Russia with $1 million from 235 screens and grabbed $79,316 from 25 screens in the Ukraine.
The Darjeeling Limited reached its first foreign destinations. The Wes Anderson comedy topped the U.K. with $905,255 from 192 screens, but was less than Anderson's previous movies The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and The Royal Tenenbaums. It also opened in Brazil with a less impressive $98,798 from 20 screens, ranking 11th.
Also kicking off internationally was August Rush. The drama recorded a dismal $741,522 start from 337 screens in the U.K.
RELATED LINKS
• Foreign Weekend Box Office Results
• International Box Office Home Page
