Baby Takes Fifth in Close Race

March 20, 2005

After gathering in all the data the winner for the race for fifth place is Million Dollar Baby, I think. It would need to lost more than 40% from last week's total and that's not taking into account its openings in South Korea at $1,515,672 and second place, its $110,000, third place debut in Finland, $86,000 in Russia, $50,000, second place debut in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, exact weekend totals are unknown but it is estimated at $6 million raising its international total to $43 million so far.

• Thanks to an impressive debut in Spain, Blade: Trinity shot up to $3.6 million on 1300 screens for an international total of $64.8 million so far. At $3.3 million the film more than doubled its nearest competition in Spain, a result that isn't surprising given how popular horror flicks are there. With Japan still more than a month away the film should have no problem topping Blade II's $72.8 million international total.
• Shark Tale held up very well in Japan dropping just 14% to $1.8 million, which helped its weekend total hit $3.4 million and its international total hit $186 million.
• Boudu is the latest French film to top the box office in that market. The film, which stars Gérard Depardieu, earned $3,197,630 and nearly doubled its nearest competition.
• Rockman exe & Duel Masters topped the Japanese market place with $3,052,076 on 256. The animated film is about … I have no idea what it's about, but I think it's a video game movie with both Megaman, (or Rockman as he's known in Japan) and Duel Masters, (a cheap clone of Yu-Gi-Oh.)
• Robots opened day and date in Mexico and several South Asian markets earning a respectable $3 million, most of which came from its $2.5 million debut in Mexico. The film also did well in Singapore at $194,000 on 39 screens and Malaysia at $139,000 on 33 screens. However, these results are low compared to most computer animated film.
• Given the extra details is looks as if the $2.8 million figure is the correct one for Ray's weekend box office while the $4.2 million is likely for the week. The largest chunk of that came from its $1.585 million second place finish in France, which pushed is box office in the market to $6.2 million and $36.5 million internationally.
• The South Korean film, Mapado, topped that market with $2,426,305 on 230 screens.
• Lorelei slipped to second place in its native market of Japan with $2,395,438, down just 18%. The W.W.II alternate history film has now made $8,461,867 there.
• Finding Neverland has slipped beneath the radar but limited data has the film added an estimated $2 million this weekend to is $59 million international box office.
• Elektra had one if its better debuts with $1.5 million on 496 screens in France. Even with just average legs it should beat the $4.5 million it earned in Spain making France its most lucrative market. In Germany the results were not so strong as the film barely made the top ten with $420,000 on 345 screens and the film pulled in $53,000 during the week in Austria. Overall the film added $2 million to its $27 million internationally box office and it has now brought in $51.5 million worldwide.
• Are We There Yet? opened poorly in yet another market as it limped into Australia with $530,000 on 168 screens for a fourth place finish. That was the largest single chunk of its $1.3 million weekend box office and the film has only managed $8.8 million after debuts in 8 markets.
• Alfie struggled in both its German debut with $555,000 on 248 screens for sixth place and Spain with $375,000 on 100 screens for tenth place. Overall the film added $1.25 million to its $19 million international box office, the largest chunk of that coming from its $8.6 million in the U.K.
• The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou had its best opening on its international run taking in $767,239 on 185 screens, good enough for sixth place. It also place in the top ten during its debut in Greece at eighth place with $90,000, fifth place in New Zealand with $57,500. On the other hand, the film was down 80% in Italy to just $50,000 during its sophomore stint, and nearly 60% in its third weekend in the U.K. with $220,000.
• Be Cool's international run got off to a soft start. The film did mediocre business in Australia with a second place, $960,000 debut on 241 screens, but the film struggled in Taiwan with just $157,000 on 63 screens.
• Andrew Lloyd-Webber's The Phantom of the Opera is still doing well in Japan this week finish at sixth place with $1,047,076 for a running total $31,600,305, more than a third of its $94.9 million international total.
• The South Korean film, Mar-athon, was finally beat at the box office dropping to fourth after five weeks at the top spot. This week the film earned $891,034 lifting its total to $29,348,576 there.
• Assault on Precinct 13 saw its box office in France get cut nearly in half to just $750,000 during its second weekend of release. So far the film has brought in $2.2 million in that market and $7 million internationally.
• Hotel Rwanda's debut in Italy was mediocre at best with $110,000 on 42 screen, missing the top ten. It best box office result of the weekend was in the U.K. where it lost nearly half of its box office during its second weekend of wide release landing at sixth place with $383,000. So far the film has yet to have a break out market with just $4.1 million internationally, mostly from the U.K., ($2 million), Spain, ($160,00 this weekend and $1 million) and Australia, ($80,000 this weekend and $500,000.)
• Boogeyman fell to just $730,000 on 318 screens during its second weekend of release in the U.K., and while that is a steep 52% drop-off from last week, it is not as bad as it could have been.
• A Very Long Engagement opened in Japan over the weekend but did poor business bringing in just $579,581 on 249 screens. It did no better in South Korea where it brought in $146,146 on 70 screens. The film has earned $57.2 million internationally, most of which came from France, but one can't help but feel that the studio was expecting much more.
• The Grudge held up better than expected in Germany remaining in fifth place with $660,000. It was able to do keep fifth place because none of the six new films were able to crack the top five. The film also opened well in Egypt with $35,000 on just 4 screens.
• Howl's Moving Castle added another $626,487 over the week to its $176,401,591, 17 week total in Japan.
• Creep, which earned $3.4 million in its native market of British, opened in Germany and Austria over the weekend. However, it failed to make much of an impact in either market scoring just $580,817 and eighth in Germany and $40,951 in Austria, (placing is still unknown.)
• Saw opened in South Korea with $612,987, ($706,482 including sneaks), strong enough for only fifth place.
• Racing Stripes made its debut in Japan but could only manage eighth place with $597,626 on 256 screens, with a per screen average of just $2,334 the film should drop out of theatres very quickly. The film has struggled internationally pulling in just $21.7 million, but it still has a few openings including the major market of Italy.
• Seed of Chucky flopped in its debut in New Zealand taking in just $20,000 on 19 screens. In its second weekend in France it dropped from eleventh place to 13th with $400,000. The film earned $17 million domestically and it looks like it will have trouble matching that internationally.
• The Sea Inside opened in Germany with $402,362 on just 47 screens for the second best per screen average in the top 15.
• The Bourne Supremacy has most likely ended its time in the top ten in Japan with $369,988 on 386 screens this week lifting its total in the market to $10,975,951 and $112.5 million internationally.
• Team America: World Police opened in France with just $300,000 on 147 screens over the week, managing just 15th place in the process. At $16.5 million, its international box office is just over half its domestic total.
• Les Choristes just missed the top ten in its debut in the U.K. with $255,00. That's inline with its tenth place, $44,234 opening in Argentina the week before.
• SpongeBob SquarePants lost more than half its box office in the U.K. but still managed to hand on to tenth place with $276,500. That pushed its box office in the market to $10.35 million and $47.6 million internationally.
• The Mask 2: The Next Generation, as it is known in Germany, opened missing the top ten with just $263,901 for the week on 122 screen, barely enough for 14th place. Overall the film has pulled in just $7.5 million, most of that coming from the U.K.
• Coach Carter dropped out of the top ten in the U.K. with $222,500 for the weekend and $2.5 million for its three week run.
• Kinsey may have finished just shy of $10 million domestically, but it will have trouble matching that internationally. This week it brought in just $99,000 in the U.K. and $95,000 in Spain, in its second weekend in both markets. Perhaps the film doesn't generate the same level of controversy as it did Stateside.
• Friday Night Lights opened in Australia with an impressive publicity campaign, but it was all for not as the film could manage no better than eighth place with $170,000 on 141 screens. There's no real surprise with this result as High School Football lack appeal outside of the United States.
• Ocean's Twelve dropped out of the top ten in the U.K. with just $165,000. That was the last market the film opened in and therefore its $235.8 million international total is unlikely to rise significantly.
• The Merchant of Venice opened in Greece with $165,000 and third place, this despite playing on only 10 screens. This is not entirely surprising since this market tends to favor these types of films.
• Vanity Fair struggled in yet another market missing the top ten in its Italian debut with a $122,000, 15th place opening. Out of all the international markets, this one had the best chance of becoming a surprise hit.
• Pooh's Heffalump Movie climbed back into top spot in Finland with $120,000 and the film will cross $1 million in that market alone by next weekend making it one of the biggest hits of the year there. The film's opening in Greece was more in line with expectations with $100,000 and seventh place.
• Flight of the Phoenix collapsed during its seconded weekend in the U.K. plummeting more than 80% to just $104,000.
• Harold & Kumar get the Munchies collapsed during its seconded weekend in the U.K. plummeting more than 80% to just $103,000.
• Ong-Bak opened in limited release in Australia pulling in just $87,000 on 32 screens. A mediocre result at best.
• Riding Giants failed to make an impact in Australia opening at 19th place with $41,600 on 30 screens. That's a big disappointment considering how popular Surfing is the market.
• American Splendor opened in Spain over the weekend bringing in $40,000 on just 6 screens for the third best per screen average in the top 20.
• Aliens of the Deep opened in Australia with $22,000 on 2 IMAX screens.
• Birth opened in third place in Chile with just $21,160 over the week.
• White Noise opened in third place in Hong Kong with just $25,000 on 25 screens.
• Alexander dropped out of the top ten in Japan, the last market to do so, finishing with $11.25 million in the market and $130 million internationally.

Filed under: International Box Office, The Bourne Supremacy, Shark Tale, Robots, Ocean's Twelve, The Grudge, Million Dollar Baby, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Movie, Ray, Coach Carter, Friday Night Lights, White Noise, Be Cool, Saw, Blade: Trinity, Finding Neverland, The Phantom of the Opera, Racing Stripes, Boogeyman, Alexander, Team America: World Police, Elektra, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Hotel Rwanda, Flight of the Phoenix, Assault On Precinct 13, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, Pooh's Heffalump Movie, Son of the Mask, Seed of Chucky, Vanity Fair, Alfie, Kinsey, Aliens of the Deep, Un long dimanche de fiançailles, Birth, Hauru no ugoku shiro, Ong-Bak, The Merchant of Venice, Les Choristes, Riding Giants, Mar adentro, Are We There Yet?, American Splendor