Sharks Sink but Still Stay on Top

October 27, 2004

Despite a 45% drop in its weekend haul, Shark Tale was able easily able to earn it third first place finish on the international charts. Still early in its run, the film took home $16.2 million in 4,368 theatres in 24 markets pushing its total to $80.3 million internationally. Without any openings the film relied on strong holdovers like in the U.K. where it drop 39%, in France it was off 32% and 35% in Germany.

Strong holdovers in a handful of mid-level markets plus openings in half a dozen smaller ones helped Collateral stick in second place with $7.8 million on 2,660 screens in 28 markets. The film has now brought in $70.1 million internationally and should finished north of $100 million.

Alien vs. Predator started its European release with a second place finish in the U.K. with $3.7 million. The film came in first in the increasingly important Russian marketplace with a tidy $1.9 million. Overall the film managed $5.7 million this weekend to push its international total to $30.7 million.

The Bourne Supremacy jumped back into the top five thanks mainly due to its $2.9 million debut in Germany. With $4.4m on 1400 screens in 32 markets this weekend, the film is sitting at $85.5 million internationally the film could make it as far as $300 million worldwide.

Rounding out the top five for the second weekend in a row was White Chicks with $4.3 million on 1900 screen in 22 markets. It's largest market was France, where the film could only manage an anemic $660 thousand. Overall the film has taken in a mere $22.6 million.

Other highlights on the international scene include:

• With no new openings, The Terminal slipped out of the top five. It still earned a strong $3.75 million on more than 1500 screen in 26 markets for a running total of $90 million. It is also one of several films that is aiming for the century mark in the next couple of weeks.
• I, Robot had a disappointing week as it dropped out of top spot in Japan and limped into Italy. Its $2.0 million in Italy was enough for first place, but well below expectations. Even so, the film make $3.2 million over the weekend and should push its million international total, currently sitting at $192.5, past $200 million before long.
• The Forgotten began its international run with a soft $1.4 million opening in Spain, a stronger $1.0 million opening in Mexico and $320,000 in the Taiwan capital Taipei, all of which were good enough for first place. The film also opening in South Africa with $90,000, which landed the film in second place to The Bourne Supremacy. Add it up and its took in $2.8 million on roughly 620 screens in 4 markets.
• Alfie started in the U.K. two weeks ahead of its domestic debut. The remake finished in third place with just $2.3 million, these results can best be described as mixed. Granted, it was a very busy weekend in the U.K. with four wide releases, but the studio had to have been hoping for more.
• Resident Evil: Apocalypse limped into Australia with a third place, $880 thousand opening. Its $1.9 million over the weekend was enough to push its international box office to $51.8 million and its worldwide figure past $100 million.
• Wimbledon's international prospects continues to suffer as this week the film flopped in France with just $700,000, only good enough for a seventh place finish. The film opened in a handful of smaller markets where the results were even worse, like in Brazil where the film could only scrounge up $115 thousand on approximately 75 screens and a ninth place finish. Overall the film managed $1.8 million this week and $18 million total.
• Shall We Dance? made its international debut with a pair of first place openings. In Australia the film took in $1.55 million while it earned $220,000 in Israel.
• Princess Diaries 2: The Royal Engagement also opened in the busy U.K. market. The film earned $1.7 million, (including the $200,000 it earned in Scotland over the past week, where is opened early.) This was only good enough for a fourth place finish there, but it was nearly twice what the original debuted with in 2001.
• Secret Window opened in its final international market with $1.4 million in Japan. The film now sits at $39.1 million internationally.
• Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid finally struck gold in the international market as it topped Thailand with $1.0 million in just 92 theatres, (and $1.4 million including previews.) But its international run has still been a disappointment so far with just $20.8 million in 27 markets.
• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind opened in Italy with $800,000, good enough for a fourth place finish. The film also continued to hold up very well in France; this weekend it earned $450,000 to push its total in the market to $2.5 million and its international total to $26.5 million.
• Ladder 49 opened in Spain with less than $800,000 on 300 screens, a very soft figure. However, results were much better in Hong Kong; the film earned less than half what is did in Spain, but did in it just 32 theatres.
• After two weeks of outstanding legs, Saw finally saw a big drop in the U.K. This past weekend in slumped by 40% to $1.0 million, enough to push its total in the market to $10.1 million so far. This bodes very well for its American debut on Friday.
• King Arthur had a massive opening in China where it earned $900,000. That lifted its international total to $143 million and brought its worldwide total closer to $200 million.
• Before Sunset is taking the same limited release route it took Stateside, and it’s working out even better. This week the film earned $850 thousand in less than 200 theatres in 20 markets for a running total of $7.4 million.
• Bride and Prejudice's in Britain have been rather weak, but the film still managed to add another $800,000 to its $7.7 million total there so far.
• Every week Layer Cake makes it on this list I expect to see a domestic release date announced, but so far there's none. The producers can console themselves with the $700,000 weekend and its $7.2 million run.
• A Cinderella Story opened in third place in Thailand with just over $100,000. Over the weekend the film raised its international total by $600,000 to $18.6 million, a strong total given its target audience.
• Garfield has again slipped off the radar screen, but piecing together the limited data available we come up with $600,000 for the weekend $115 million internationally.
• The Notebook held up reasonably well in Australia bringing in another $600 thousand this past weekend. That raises its total in the market to $2.0 million and overall to $10.6 million.
• Local film, Five Children and It, bombed in its U.K. The film could only manage $550,000, (including previews) on 289 screens.
• Man on Fire had one of its better debuts earning $500,000 and a fourth place finish in Brazil. That helped the film break $30 million internationally.
• Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy's domestic box office was a little disappointing as many people expected it to cross $100 million. However, its international run so far has been a complete disaster as it has made just $3.0 million so far. The week's missteps include a fifth place, $500,000 opening in Australia and an even worse opening in South Africa, where it is expected to have missed the top ten.
• The pressure of increased competition caused Hero to see its box office in Italy get slashed in half to just $500,000. That was still enough to increase its haul in the market to $5 million and internationally to $114 million.
• Exorcist: The Beginning continues to struggle internationally. The film was well back in third place in Hong Kong with just $200,000 during its debut there. So far the film has been able to earn less than $5 million.
• Shrek 2 made its penultimate debut in Greece with a very disappointing $400,000. With just Italy left to play in, the film has made $436 million domestically and 877 million worldwide, both of which are records for Animated films. However, they could both fall to The Incredibles in the coming months.
• As expected, Open Water's box office was nearly cut in half during its second weekend in Australia. The film did manage $400,000 and a sixth place finish there.
• Scooby Doo 2 disappointed in its debut in Japan with an estimated $200,000, ninth place finish. That makes breaking $100 million internationally unlikely even though it will come close with $96.4 million so far.
• Wicker Park opening in semi-limited release in Germany but couldn't do better than $300,000 in 143 theatres.
• Many films saw disappointing results domestically mitigated by very strong international runs. However, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story is taking the opposite result, for example, this week it could only manage a $140 thousand, seventh place finish in Brazil.

Source: Variety

Filed under: International Box Office, Shrek 2, The Bourne Supremacy, Shark Tale, I, Robot, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Collateral, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, The Notebook, AVP: Alien Vs. Predator, Man on Fire, The Terminal, Garfield: The Movie, Ladder 49, White Chicks, The Forgotten, Shall We Dance?, Saw, Jet Li's Hero, King Arthur, A Cinderella Story, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Secret Window, Exorcist: The Beginning, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid, Open Water, Wimbledon, Alfie, Wicker Park, Bride & Prejudice, Before Sunset