Around the World Roundup: Cup Caps 'Code'
The arrival of the 2006 FIFA World Cup curbed international ticket sales drastically. In Europe, a fall of 50 percent was considered a good hold. In host nation Germany, 73 percent was the minimum drop in the Top 10. Asia suffered less but still took significant hits. In the Western hemisphere, however, since the games were over before 5:00 p.m., the Latin American markets were largely unaffected.
The weekend box office saw a plethora of new titles including the surprising debut of The Omen, but The Da Vinci Code remained king. The thriller yielded $21.1 million from 9,423 screens for a $452.5 million total, an all time best for distributor Sony. Its sole new market was Bahrain where it grossed a spectacular $72,096 from 2 screens. Australia ($17.1 million total) and Japan ($56.1 million total) held the best with respective 33 and 27 percent drops, but it dove 79 percent in Germany ($41.5 million), 71 percent in Italy ($34.8 million) and 60 percent in the United Kingdom ($48.6 million).
In communist China, the government pulled The Da Vinci Code from theaters, ending its run at $13.2 million.
The Omen cashed in on its "6-6-06" opening day worldwide, but petered out over the weekend. The horror remake grossed an unexpectedly solid $31 million in the first six days of its aggressive 60-nation launch, but only $13 million of that came from the three-day weekend. It garnered ten first place starts, led by Mexico's $4.1 million from 580 screens. Other highlights included the U.K.'s $4 million from 343 screens, Russia's $3 million from 340 and Spain's $2.1 million from 280. The picture played well across the globe, from South Korea's $1.5 million from 120 screens to Germany's $1.1 million from 313 screens.
X-Men: The Last Stand plummeted over the weekend, nabbing $12.8 million for a three-week total of $160.1 million. The action sequel stayed on top in just two major markets, Brazil ($1 million for an $8.7 million total) and the U.K. ($1.7 million for a $29.6 million total). The mutants next invade South Korea and Taiwan.
Poseidon held firm in Asia and predictably sank in Europe. The disaster picture once again dominated South Korea with $2.4 million from 252 prints, down 34 percent for a two-week total of $11.7 million that puts it ahead of past hits, The Last Samurai and Batman Begins, through the same time frame.
Poseidon also remained afloat atop China, notching $1.1 million from 369 prints, and its $5.3 million total is on par with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire through the same point. Hong Kong was another stronghold, where it made $289,000 from 24 screens for a $1.3 million total. Poseidon, though, tanked in Italy, diving 65 percent for a $3.2 million total, and it decreased 55 percent in the U.K. for a $4.4 million total. Overall, Poseidon's weekend came to $10.4 million for a $56.3 million total.
Current domestic champ, Cars, had a limited spate of openings due to the World Cup, but Pixar's new feature was No. 1 everywhere it opened. From six territories, it grabbed $5.4 million, led by Australia's $3.3 million from 265 screens. Elsewhere Cars claimed $510,000 from 50 screens in Singapore, $460,000 from 45 in New Zealand, $400,000 from 16 in Taiwan and $325,000 from 40 in the Philippines. These debuts were moderate by Pixar standards, but Cars delivered the company's best start ever in Malaysia, with $420,000 from 50 screens. The picture rolls out slowly over the next three months, with stops in France, Russia and Hungary next weekend.
The Break-Up also premiered internationally over weekend. The comedy finished second to Cars in Australia with $2.2 million from 183 screens, while in New Zealand it was relatively better with $206,857 from 48 screens.
Mission: Impossible III crossed the $200 million mark before its much-anticipated Japanese debut. A $630,000 opening from 200 sites in India helped push it past the milestone, but South Korea has contributed the most with its $36.6 million tally, a record there for an American movie.
Ice Age: The Meltdown landed in China, its final market. It failed to impress, though, with a meager $997,000 from 550 screens. The animated comedy has reached $441 million internationally.
Inside Man also ended its foreign campaign. Its final territory, Japan, opened at the same level as the The Interpreter with $777,570 from 216 screens. The heist thriller's total grew to $89.2 million and will likely peter out shy of $100 million.
The weekend box office saw a plethora of new titles including the surprising debut of The Omen, but The Da Vinci Code remained king. The thriller yielded $21.1 million from 9,423 screens for a $452.5 million total, an all time best for distributor Sony. Its sole new market was Bahrain where it grossed a spectacular $72,096 from 2 screens. Australia ($17.1 million total) and Japan ($56.1 million total) held the best with respective 33 and 27 percent drops, but it dove 79 percent in Germany ($41.5 million), 71 percent in Italy ($34.8 million) and 60 percent in the United Kingdom ($48.6 million).
In communist China, the government pulled The Da Vinci Code from theaters, ending its run at $13.2 million.
The Omen cashed in on its "6-6-06" opening day worldwide, but petered out over the weekend. The horror remake grossed an unexpectedly solid $31 million in the first six days of its aggressive 60-nation launch, but only $13 million of that came from the three-day weekend. It garnered ten first place starts, led by Mexico's $4.1 million from 580 screens. Other highlights included the U.K.'s $4 million from 343 screens, Russia's $3 million from 340 and Spain's $2.1 million from 280. The picture played well across the globe, from South Korea's $1.5 million from 120 screens to Germany's $1.1 million from 313 screens.
X-Men: The Last Stand plummeted over the weekend, nabbing $12.8 million for a three-week total of $160.1 million. The action sequel stayed on top in just two major markets, Brazil ($1 million for an $8.7 million total) and the U.K. ($1.7 million for a $29.6 million total). The mutants next invade South Korea and Taiwan.
Poseidon held firm in Asia and predictably sank in Europe. The disaster picture once again dominated South Korea with $2.4 million from 252 prints, down 34 percent for a two-week total of $11.7 million that puts it ahead of past hits, The Last Samurai and Batman Begins, through the same time frame.
Poseidon also remained afloat atop China, notching $1.1 million from 369 prints, and its $5.3 million total is on par with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire through the same point. Hong Kong was another stronghold, where it made $289,000 from 24 screens for a $1.3 million total. Poseidon, though, tanked in Italy, diving 65 percent for a $3.2 million total, and it decreased 55 percent in the U.K. for a $4.4 million total. Overall, Poseidon's weekend came to $10.4 million for a $56.3 million total.
Current domestic champ, Cars, had a limited spate of openings due to the World Cup, but Pixar's new feature was No. 1 everywhere it opened. From six territories, it grabbed $5.4 million, led by Australia's $3.3 million from 265 screens. Elsewhere Cars claimed $510,000 from 50 screens in Singapore, $460,000 from 45 in New Zealand, $400,000 from 16 in Taiwan and $325,000 from 40 in the Philippines. These debuts were moderate by Pixar standards, but Cars delivered the company's best start ever in Malaysia, with $420,000 from 50 screens. The picture rolls out slowly over the next three months, with stops in France, Russia and Hungary next weekend.
The Break-Up also premiered internationally over weekend. The comedy finished second to Cars in Australia with $2.2 million from 183 screens, while in New Zealand it was relatively better with $206,857 from 48 screens.
Mission: Impossible III crossed the $200 million mark before its much-anticipated Japanese debut. A $630,000 opening from 200 sites in India helped push it past the milestone, but South Korea has contributed the most with its $36.6 million tally, a record there for an American movie.
Ice Age: The Meltdown landed in China, its final market. It failed to impress, though, with a meager $997,000 from 550 screens. The animated comedy has reached $441 million internationally.
Inside Man also ended its foreign campaign. Its final territory, Japan, opened at the same level as the The Interpreter with $777,570 from 216 screens. The heist thriller's total grew to $89.2 million and will likely peter out shy of $100 million.
