UPDATE, Writethru Monday, 1:14 PM: The international weekend saw a handful of new releases in various rollout patterns as studios jostled to capitalize on kids vacations and get some play in ahead of the upcoming Captain America: Civil War. Opening in 18 markets, Universal’s The Huntsman: Winter’s War fell short of its mark with $19.1M. The debut hubs included the UK, Australia, Italy, Spain, and Mexico. The result is lower than yesterday’s projected $20M and the day before’s $21.3M. It’s also below Disney’s The Jungle Book which swung into 15 early plays where it doubled the opening of last year’s live-action Cinderella in the same suite of markets, taking a better than estimated with $31.7M. Contrary to domestic, where Universal’s Melissa McCarthy comedy The Boss fired Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice from its No. 1 hold, the superheroes are still champs overseas in their 3rd frame. The weekend estimate is $34.4M in 67 markets. That’s a 60% drop from last session (which itself was a 66% dip from the debut session over Easter weekend). The international cume for the superheroes is $487.7M. The Boss did open offshore, but in just eight smaller territories for $1M at 340 dates. Also new this frame, STX’s Hardcore Henry shot into its first 12 offshore plays with $2.1M.
Meanwhile, there’s yet more good news for Disney’s Zootopia with the animated charmer adding $21.9M in the frame to take the offshore cume to $555.4M and the global total to $850M+ (it passed $800M earlier this week). With $232.2M in China, the movie is now Disney’s biggest title ever at the Middle Kingdom box office, surpassing Avengers: Age Of Ultron in local currency.
Staying in the PROC, London Has Fallen came in with $24M in its debut session there. That’s good for No. 1 and bests local holdover Chongqing Hot Pot in its 2nd frame. It also far outpaces the lifetime of Olympus Has Fallen‘s $5.8M Middle Kingdom tally in 2013. The China number makes the actioner the No. 3 movie of the weekend internationally. Fortunes will shift next weekend when The Jungle Book opens its China chapter on Friday, along with local pic Lost In White, a thriller with Tong Dawei and Tony Leung Ka Fai that was reportedly shot in temperatures lower than -40 degrees Celsius.
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Breakdowns on all of this weekend’s films follow:
NEW
THE JUNGLE BOOK
Welcome to The Jungle. With a $31.7M weekend in 15 Asian and Latin American markets, Disney’s live-action/CGI Jon Favreau-helmed family adventure made a strong swing in its first plays. The move to go a week before the U.S., China and other majors was to get some space before the studio’s own Captain America: Civil War goes out in early May as well as accessing school holidays and avoiding local competitors. The major markets to release were Russia and Australia. In the latter, there are staggered holidays so TJB opened only in 50% of the market before expanding over the whole territory next weekend. There were No. 1s in all Jungle Book debuts. The movie is currently 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and word of mouth is expected to propel this update on Disney’s 1967 animated pic (based on the Rudyard Kipling classics) to big Kaa-chings.
In the same suite of markets, The Jungle Book (the “The” being an important differentiator from Warner’s 2018 pic which is just Jungle Book) opened 99% ahead of Cinderella last year and is 32% ahead of Maleficent at today’s exchange rates. India was the stand-out with a big $8.4M (up from the estimated $7.6M) — the 2nd highest ever industry opening ever for a Western release, behind only Furious 7. That outperformed the entire lifetime of Cinderella, Maleficent and Oz: The Great And Powerful.
With a much better than expected $7.4M (up from Sunday’s estimate of $6.2M) in Russia, The Jungle Book’s start is 155% ahead of Cinderella. In Australia, TJB has an estimated gross of $2.8M. The debut is 65% ahead of Cinderella based on opening in 50% of the market. Argentina got off to a $2.3M launch; 102% ahead of Cinderella. All other markets combined grossed $6.6M. The $2.3M start in Malaysia was the biggest Disney live-action bow of all time.
The Jungle Book opens in the key markets of China, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, Brazil and Mexico, as well as North America, next frame. Korea then opens on June 2 and Japan on August 11.
THE HUNTSMAN: WINTER’S WAR
With $20M in 18 early markets this weekend, the sequel to 2012’s Snow White And The Huntsman came in softer than projected at 3,969 dates. Opening this frame put the origins story out in time to capitalize on school holidays and to plant it between Batman V Superman the start of Captain America: Civil War. Comps to the opening of the last film are not apples-to-apples as the rollout is different. SWATH was initially released in 45 territories day-and-date with the U.S. and grossed $39.3M offshore. That film starred Kristen Stewart who is not back for part II. Reprising their roles here are Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron and Sam Claflin with Emily Blunt and Jessica Chastain joining the proceedings. Key talent was on the road in Europe and Asia over the past few weeks including China where the movie goes out on April 22. Cedric Nicolas-Troyan takes over the director’s chair from Rupert Sanders.
There were No. 1 starts in the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam and Mexico. The UK was the top opener with $4.2M including previews. SWATH started in the UK with $5.5M in 2012 before the big currency fluctuations took hold. Mexico opened No. 1 with $2.8M at 717 dates, which is 80% of SWATH. Thailand was the next best play at No. 2 with $1.2M at 132 dates, which is 41% bigger than SWATH. Hong Kong was good for $620K and No. 1, on par with SWATH while Australia grabbed $2.1M in 262 runs.
The film has 47 territories, including China, Japan, Korea, France, Russia and Brazil, to open over the next two months. The original topped out at about $240M overseas or around $190M in today’s dollars. It will open in seven more markets this weekend, including Russia.
HARDCORE HENRY
STX’s big Toronto acquisition splattered into 12 offshore markets this weekend including Russia, the UK, Finland, Norway, Poland, Hungary, Greece and Portugal. The $2.1M gross came from over 1,365 locations. Helmed by first-time Russian writer-director Ilya Naishuller, the video-game-cum-big-screen-experience puts audience members directly into the action via a POV shooting technique that employed headset-mounted Go-Pro cameras. Sharlto Copley stars.
Russian multi-hyphenate Timur Bekmambetov (Ben-Hur, Wanted, Night Watch) is a producer here and Russia was the top market for Henry with $1.26M on 315 screens. The start was good for No. 2 behind The Jungle Book which sucked a lot of air out of the frame. The result, which put BvS at No. 3, is 158% ahead of John Wick and 69% ahead of 10 Cloverfield Lane, per STX. The UK was the 2nd best play at $286K on 315 screens; 102% ahead of Machete. Norway started at No. 8 with $55K at 56 locations. STX sold off international, bringing exposure to $2M on what was a $10M world rights deal. The next major releases are in France, Italy and Germany this coming weekend. Korea and Mexico go in early May followed by Brazil in late May and Spain on June 17.
THE BOSS
The female-skewing Melissa McCarthy comedy won the domestic weekend in opening estimates and began an international rollout in eight small territories this frame, picking up $1M at 340 dates in Croatia, Hungary, Lebanon, the Middle East, Slovenia, Ukraine and the UAE. The latter was the top opener with $350K at 42 dates. Hungary gave McCarthy her best bow ever in the market with $146K at 50 dates. Overseas, the comedienne has been growing her profile over the past few years since busting out in Bridesmaids ($119M offshore cume). Her films have tended to do bigger domestic box office than foreign (not uncommon for R-rated, female-led comedies). However, last year’s Spy, with Jason Statham and Jude Law co-starring, made about $125M — $15M more than in North America. In 2013, Identity Thief grossed $39.5M and The Heat, with Sandra Bullock took $70M. World Cup counterprogrammer and road trip, Tammy, however, ended with just $16M in a limited amount of markets in summer 2014. International dates on The Boss continue over the next few months. Next weekend includes Australia and New Zealand, a strong McCarthy center.
HOLDOVERS/EXPANSIONS
BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE
Dropping 60% from last frame, Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent got closer to the $500M overseas mark with an estimated $34.4M for a $487.7M international cume. The worldwide total is $784.3M. That takes it into the Top 10 all-time highest global grossing superhero films, now surpassing the lifetime cume of Guardians Of The Galaxy ($773M). Warner Bros’ Zack Snyder-helmed mash-up retains the No. 1 offshore spot overall in the 3rd frame, although next week will see it give that up to The Jungle Book.
Out of 67 overseas markets this session, the best play was Brazil with $4.2M on 1,290 screens. The $28.3M cume makes BvS the 3rd biggest superhero movie ever in the market. The UK grossed an estimated $3.3M on 930 screens, for a $47.6M total. In China, where BvS will struggle to get to $100M, it’s at $93.5M after adding $2.8M (-78%) this weekend from 2,279 screens. Mexico grossed another $1.9M on 1,860 for a total $33.6M. France picked up $2M in caped dollars on 713 screens for a $17.1M total. Australia, where the competition is strong thanks to new openers The Jungle Book and The Huntsman, BvS added $1.6M on 421 screens ($20M cume). Germany is expected to finish the weekend with $1.6M on 1,050 screens in 3rd, bringing the cume to $16.6M. Japan brought in $1.3M more for $12.8M to date. Other key market cumes include: Korea $15.7M; Russia $11.9M; Italy $11.4M and Spain $10.4M.
ZOOTOPIA
Disney’s animated tale put $21.9M in the hopper this frame — its 9th — for an overseas total of $555.4M. It’s currently running wild in 53 territories which rep about 93% of the international marketplace. Japan opens later this month. In China, Zootopia has overtaken Avengers: Age Of Ultron (in local currency) to become Disney’s biggest release of all time. It’s now the 3rd biggest U.S. movie ever in the Middle Kingdom and the 7th overall.
In its 3rd week of release in the UK, Zootopia is in a tight race with BvS for the three-day No. 1 (The Huntsman is officially No 1 including previews), falling just 12% from last weekend for a $26.5M cume. In Germany’s 6th week of release, Zootopia was No. 4 ($28.4M cume). Elsewhere in Europe, France saw a 28% jump from the previous session ($29.4M cume). Overall, the drop-off was only 20% across the region.
Korea continued its run of strong holds with a 22% dip ($25.7M), coming in No. 2 behind new local pic Insane. Australia fell 18% for a $14.7M total to date. In Hong Kong, Zootopia has now become the highest grossing Disney Animation release of all-time (excluding Pixar).
The global cume now stands at $851.4M. There is $6M separating Zootopia from becoming the 10th biggest global animation release. When it earns those, it will bring sadness to Disney/Pixar’s Inside Out which will fall to No. 11.
KUNG FU PANDA 3
Earning another $11.79M this frame, Po and the gang are holding well in some key plays including France where it dipped just 9% and Australia where the drop was 25%. France added $3.1M for an $8.27M cume after two weeks and Oz took $1.05M for $6.87M after three. Kids are on school holidays in parts of those markets. The total offshore is now $343.2M. The final opening is Holland this coming weekend.
10 CLOVERFIELD LANE
With openings in 15 new offshore markets, Paramount’s spinoff sheltered a healthy $5.8M in a total of 42. The international cume is now $25.8M. The Dan Trachtenberg-helmed horror thriller opened at No. 3 in Korea with $1.7M, behind local pic Insane and Zootopia; it’s 17% below Cloverfield. Venezuela bowed at No. 4 with $540K at 37 locations. Get this: the results are +1093%, +1018% and +578% above Cloverfield, Super 8 and Contagion, respectively. Brazil was also No. 4 with $577K at 347 cinemas for a 108% jump on Cloverfield. In Indonesia, the JJ Abrams-produced pic was No. 4 with $323K at 153 sites — 277% up over Cloverfield. Germany and Russia both have local cumes of $1.2M after two frames. Rollout continues.
MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 2
Gold Circle Entertainment, Playtone and HBO’s sequel, which Universal is distributing in 28 territories, grossed an estimated $3.2M in 19 this weekend. The offshore total is now $23.1M after a 41% drop from last frame. Landing in Greece this session, the comedy opened at No. 1 with $254K at 69 dates — 3x bigger than the opening of My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Nearby Cyprus was also No. 1 with $54K at six dates. Trinidad marched to No. 3 with $41K in 13 runs. The top run overseas is Australia which added $1.4M at 281 dates for a $9.6M cume. Universal has two more releases: Argentina and Chile on May 5.
EDDIE THE EAGLE
Currently in 48 markets, Dexter Fletcher’s Eddie The Eagle notably swooped into Korea this weekend with $926K on 527 screens. The total Fox frame was worth $2.5M for a $6.97M overseas cume. It took to the slopes in Russia this weekend for a opening of $182K. Also for Fox, Taiwan bowed very well with $376K on 74. Lionsgate UK is releasing there and last weekend saw the film became the biggest British opener since James Bond and Spectre.
THE REVENANT
Tracking down $1.3M this weekend, Fox’s The Revenant takes its international cume to $335.5M. In the frame, it added $520K from a phenomenal run in China where the total is now $57.8M. France, after seven sessions, has a total $27.6M. The final market to bow will be Japan on April 22.
MIRACLES FROM HEAVEN
In its 2nd frame in Mexico, Sony’s faith-based family pic dipped just 35% for $1M on 1,397 screens. The local cume is $3.82M for an international total of $5.25M. Still to come are Brazil and Colombia later this month.
MISC UPDATED CUMES
The Witch (UNI): $460K weekend (Colombia opened No. 4 with $115K at 40 dates); $6.67M international cume
13 Hours (PAR): $645K weekend; $15.1M international cume
High Rise (SC): $2.43M UK cume
Deadpool (FOX): $400.8M
The Revenant (FOX): $335.58M int’l cume
One of the worst movies ever made (by critics) & a failure project of WB (by media) BvS ($783M) have now passed The Amazing Spider-Man ($758M) & Guardians of the Galaxy ($773M). It is now on it’s way to cross Spider-Man 2 ($784M) very soon!
One, you’re comparing BvS to an AMS series that wasn’t allowed to go forward with a 3rd film (even if the first was better than the second) and eventually led to Sony letting Marvel back into the Spiderman fold. Two, GOTG was a relatively obscure story to the general public and still did better than AMS. Three, AMS2….see my first point.
And, most importantly, with BvS, you’re talking about (arguably) the TWO MOST POPULAR COMIC CHARACTERS OF ALL-TIME!! IN A STUDIO MOVIE TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME!!! It should have blown the doors off of any pic in Nolan’s Batman series and seriously threatened the Avenger’s movie.
Instead, you had a “meh” MoS and now, BvS, which bordered on incoherent the first 100 minutes and was pretty awful overall.
This movie simply made it this far b/c of who was in it, not b/c it’s a good movie. The fact that it’s fallen off a cliff the past 10 tens shows it’s word-of-mouth is awful no matter what the critics or media say about this moive.
“the TWO MOST POPULAR COMIC CHARACTERS OF ALL-TIME!! IN A STUDIO MOVIE TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME!!! ” It’s getting old. You need to stop that making it look like a failure. It’s doing fine worldwide and you can’t stop it however bitter it is.
But it is a failure. BvS should have done better, faster. That it didn’t proves what it is… a failure. A movie with so much built-in potential shouldn’t be limping over the finish line to a $1 billion. The DCEU will continue to struggle unnecessarily if WB/DC don’t jettison Zack Snyder and his misguided interpretations of iconic characters.
Another delusion idiot DC fantard. Batman v Superman has been out for exactly fifteen days, and it still got trounced by a critically panned R rated comedy. And Zootopia was released three weeks before Batman v Superman, yet Zootopia still has enough box office draw to be comfortably in third place. So you are correct, Batman v Superman should be succeeding since it’s only competition are a month old family film, and a low-interest comedy. Yet, the fact that Batman v Superman barely outperformed the former, and got beat out by the latter, does not bode well at all.
I think you are being sarcastic, right? It is not the worst movie ever made made, even by RT standards, there have been films with a 0% rating.
I never thought in a million years, I’d see someone brag that a movie with at least the 2 biggest super heroes, and the greatest team in the history of comics, beat a talking raccoon and tree in a movie. Congrats I guess.
Even harder to imagine than a Batman and Superman (featuring Wonder Woman) wouldn’t make profit at the BO (while a talking raccoon did)
Of course BvS also beat Hulk, Thor (both movies), Captain America (both movies), Ant-Man, Iron-Man (1 and 2)…
“The greatest team” movie is next year, keep up.
Thor and the Iron Man movies both made more profit, oh and same goes for Winter Soldier, and Ant-Man made the studio 103 million in profit too.
This is a major failure, comparing it to movies like Ant-Man just proves this, this not making 1 billion is laughable in the current market and the 60% drops are the reason.
Keep up, a Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman movie doing this lame of business is laughable.Deadpool is gonna make more money domestically by himself and his movies cost way less, but audiences actually liked it.
Let’s agree that FOX’s Deadpool makes the official, big-budget Marvel movies look like failures. And that it is hilarious.
I never thought in a million years that I hear someone brag about a talking Raccoon and a tree being beat by Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.
Batman VS Superman should pass the $800M mark sometime week.
So?? Even the last two Transformers movie did that number. Stop wasting time.
Why don’t you shut up with your BvS hate? Civil War is coming out soon enough and then you will be satisfied.