Around the World Roundup: 'Ring Two' the One Again
The Ring Two remained atop a still soft overseas box office with $14.3 million from 46 territories. Most surprising for the horror sequel was Italy's top-ranked $2.7 million debut from 253 screens. Even though theatres closed on Friday for Pope John Paul II's funeral, the Italian market rose 34 percent from its previous weekend, which was depressed due to the Pope's death. The Ring Two topped its predecessor by 50 percent. It also played well in its Russian debut, grossing $1.8 million from 199 screens. Other openings included Chile ($178,800 from 31 screens), Indonesia ($139,071 from 39), Malaysia ($207,978 from 35) and Singapore ($163,564 from 24). With an overall total of $54.3 million so far, The Ring Two's overseas run will likely match its final domestic total (around $80 million).
Robots continued to mount a solid international run with a $9.8 million weekend gross for an $83.2 million total. The computer-animated comedy opened at No. 3 in France with $1.9 million from 737 screens, timed to take advantage of school holidays in coming weeks. In New Zealand, it debuted in first place with a strong $308,250 from 70 screens.
Despite an excellent international run for Hitch, the Will Smith romantic comedy has lagged behind its domestic total. However, with potent holdovers and strong debuts in Latin American and Thailand, it looks like overseas will match its domestic haul ($174 million so far). It grossed $8.3 million from 57 territories, off just 23 percent, for a $161.8 million total. Key results have been the United Kingdom's $29.9 million in six weeks, Germany's $31.5 million in six and France's $12.8 million in four. It bowed at No. 1 in every Latin American market except Argentina, where it grossed an uncharacteristic $153,212 from 43 screens. The other Latin American debuts were Bolivia's $18,024 from 5 screens, Ecuador's $61,585 from 24 and Peru's $174,832 from 25. In Thailand, it was No. 1 with $421,582 from 42 screens.
The Interpreter made its foreign debut in Greece with a sterling $488,202 at 51 dates, topping the market. The Nicole Kidman-Sean Penn thriller had the third biggest opening of the year there behind blockbusters National Treasure and Meet the Fockers, and it was 66 percent higher than The Bourne Supremacy and 47 percent higher than Collateral. It was also Universal's fourth biggest opening weekend ever in Greece. The Interpreter enters 12 more territories next weekend, including Australia and Spain, before it opens stateside on April 22.
Sahara kicked off in Australia and the U.K. day-and-date with the United States, and the results were as relatively sturdy as the States' opening. The adventure bowed in first place in the U.K. with $2.6 million from 400 screens. Australia notched a second place debut (behind the third week of The Pacifier) of $1.1 million from 182 screens. Both territories were handled by United International Pictures, which also has rights in Italy, New Zealand, and Spain. Summit Entertainment, however, holds rights in all other markets, which will mean that distributors and thusly results will vary throughout the globe. Evidence to that statement is The Phantom of the Opera's solid but erratic international run. On Thursday, the musical crossed the century mark, fueled by Japan's powerful $36.5 million and counting. It did well in the U.K., nabbing $16.6 million, but flopped in Italy with $1.4 million. Denmark recorded an enormous $1.96 million, but Finland yielded just $421,972.
Two comedies floundered in their overseas debuts. Guess Who came to Australia and grossed a mere $753,945 from 220 screens, ranking No. 4 in the market. After an anemic $17,648 run in New Zealand and $79,997 total in Kuwait, Man of the House made just $237,641 from 130 screens in the U.K., opening in fourteenth place.
Be Cool added $5.7 million to its coffers for a $20.3 million foreign total. The John Travolta sequel opened in third place in Spain with $1.1 million from 300 screens. Other debuts included Russia's $430,000 from 85, Mexico's $556,000 from 223, South Africa's $120,000 from 45 and South Korea's $107,000 from 50. At this rate, overseas business could match domestic's $56 million if it gets some big openings from Italy, Japan and Latin America.
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous grabbed $4.9 million over the weekend for a $32.4 million total. The Sandra Bullock comedy sequel continued to lag behind Miss Congeniality in openings. In New Zealand, it started with $186,500 from 51 prints, off 26 percent from its predecessor. In Hong Kong, it earned $157,800 from 27 screens, 43 percent below the original. Israel's $77,300 from 26 prints was down 35 percent from Miss Congeniality. One bright spot for Miss Congeniality 2 has been Brazil, where it has posted $1.0 million in two weeks. Next week, the movie opens in France, Mexico and Russia.
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Robots continued to mount a solid international run with a $9.8 million weekend gross for an $83.2 million total. The computer-animated comedy opened at No. 3 in France with $1.9 million from 737 screens, timed to take advantage of school holidays in coming weeks. In New Zealand, it debuted in first place with a strong $308,250 from 70 screens.
Despite an excellent international run for Hitch, the Will Smith romantic comedy has lagged behind its domestic total. However, with potent holdovers and strong debuts in Latin American and Thailand, it looks like overseas will match its domestic haul ($174 million so far). It grossed $8.3 million from 57 territories, off just 23 percent, for a $161.8 million total. Key results have been the United Kingdom's $29.9 million in six weeks, Germany's $31.5 million in six and France's $12.8 million in four. It bowed at No. 1 in every Latin American market except Argentina, where it grossed an uncharacteristic $153,212 from 43 screens. The other Latin American debuts were Bolivia's $18,024 from 5 screens, Ecuador's $61,585 from 24 and Peru's $174,832 from 25. In Thailand, it was No. 1 with $421,582 from 42 screens.
The Interpreter made its foreign debut in Greece with a sterling $488,202 at 51 dates, topping the market. The Nicole Kidman-Sean Penn thriller had the third biggest opening of the year there behind blockbusters National Treasure and Meet the Fockers, and it was 66 percent higher than The Bourne Supremacy and 47 percent higher than Collateral. It was also Universal's fourth biggest opening weekend ever in Greece. The Interpreter enters 12 more territories next weekend, including Australia and Spain, before it opens stateside on April 22.
Sahara kicked off in Australia and the U.K. day-and-date with the United States, and the results were as relatively sturdy as the States' opening. The adventure bowed in first place in the U.K. with $2.6 million from 400 screens. Australia notched a second place debut (behind the third week of The Pacifier) of $1.1 million from 182 screens. Both territories were handled by United International Pictures, which also has rights in Italy, New Zealand, and Spain. Summit Entertainment, however, holds rights in all other markets, which will mean that distributors and thusly results will vary throughout the globe. Evidence to that statement is The Phantom of the Opera's solid but erratic international run. On Thursday, the musical crossed the century mark, fueled by Japan's powerful $36.5 million and counting. It did well in the U.K., nabbing $16.6 million, but flopped in Italy with $1.4 million. Denmark recorded an enormous $1.96 million, but Finland yielded just $421,972.
Two comedies floundered in their overseas debuts. Guess Who came to Australia and grossed a mere $753,945 from 220 screens, ranking No. 4 in the market. After an anemic $17,648 run in New Zealand and $79,997 total in Kuwait, Man of the House made just $237,641 from 130 screens in the U.K., opening in fourteenth place.
Be Cool added $5.7 million to its coffers for a $20.3 million foreign total. The John Travolta sequel opened in third place in Spain with $1.1 million from 300 screens. Other debuts included Russia's $430,000 from 85, Mexico's $556,000 from 223, South Africa's $120,000 from 45 and South Korea's $107,000 from 50. At this rate, overseas business could match domestic's $56 million if it gets some big openings from Italy, Japan and Latin America.
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous grabbed $4.9 million over the weekend for a $32.4 million total. The Sandra Bullock comedy sequel continued to lag behind Miss Congeniality in openings. In New Zealand, it started with $186,500 from 51 prints, off 26 percent from its predecessor. In Hong Kong, it earned $157,800 from 27 screens, 43 percent below the original. Israel's $77,300 from 26 prints was down 35 percent from Miss Congeniality. One bright spot for Miss Congeniality 2 has been Brazil, where it has posted $1.0 million in two weeks. Next week, the movie opens in France, Mexico and Russia.
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