Around the World Roundup: 'Bourne' Leads Cool Weekend
While the foreign box office cooled a considerable 24 percent over the weekend, The Bourne Ultimatum remained the champion with $15.2 million from 24 territories for a $52.6 million total. The action thriller's most prominent opening was in Russia, where it grabbed $2.6 million from 392 screens. That was bigger than the combined final grosses of its two predecessors. The picture also opened to a decent $1.1 million from 179 screens in Brazil and $604,810 from 55 screens in New Zealand. Among holdovers, its third weekend drop-off rates were steep in Asia, including 73 percent drops in Hong Kong and Indonesia, while in the United Kingdom it was down 40 percent in its second weekend to $5.7 million for a $28.4 million total. This weekend, Bourne hits Argentina and Australia.

Ratatouille rose to second place with an $11.8 million weekend from 29 territories for a $172.3 million total. Nearly half of the weekend gross came from France, where the animated comedy remained the leader for the fourth consecutive weekend. Its $5.8 million take represented a 27 percent decline and pushed its total there to $45.8 million. Ratatouille also opened well in Turkey, nabbing $415,511 from 118 screens.

The Simpsons Movie, now falling rapidly, produced $11.5 million from 41 markets for a magnificent $289.7 million total. The cartoon comedy recorded an expectedly mediocre opening in South Korea, taking in $1 million from 169 screens to rank seventh. Elsewhere, falls were steep, including Russia (down 68 percent) and the U.K. (down 59 percent). The Simpsons held relatively well in Brazil with a 37 fall to $1.7 million, keeping the opening of The Bourne Ultimatum at bay to stay on top. Next up for The Simpsons is Greece.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix continued to fall slowly with a $10.3 million weekend from 58 markets for a $612.1 million total, surpassing Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire's $606 million final tally. Soon, it will top Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' $617 million as the second-highest grosser of the series, and it has a shot at exceeding Harry Potter and the Sorcerer Stone's $658.9 million. Hindering its chances, however, was a moderate start in its final market, Greece ($1.7 million from 120 prints), where it may have been affected by severe wild fires there.

Rush Hour 3 rounded out the Top Five with an $8.1 million weekend from 19 territories for a $40.2 million total. The action comedy had steep drops in most markets but opened well in Japan with a top-ranked $1.8 million from 267 screens.

Knocked Up opened in its most important market, the U.K., but only managed a respectable $3 million from 411 screens. The comedy had a more potent opening in Germany, though, grossing $2.1 million from 597 screens, and has accumulated $25.5 million overall.

RELATED LINKS

• Foreign Weekend Box Office Results

• International Box Office Home Page