Box Office Slows as Summer Ends

August 31, 2005

With the summer box office session coming to a close, the overall international returns slowed. However, The Island was still able to come out on top of the sluggish box office with $9.7 million at more than 4,800 screens in 48 markets for a total of $101.6 million so far. The film had a trio of openings this weekend, the best in terms of raw dollars was in Italy where the film managed $1.144 million on 322 screens, less than $2000 out of first place. It didn't have to settle for second place in Greece with $625,000 on 73 screens or in Sweden with $295,000 on 88. Holdovers continue to be the bane of this film as it fell by 40% during its second weekend in France. Even so, that was the best single market for the film at $2.1 million on 640 screens.

For the third weekend in a row, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory finished in second place, this weekend making $7.7 million on 3,500 screens in 39 markets. It had only one opening over the weekend finishing first in Russia with $375,000 on 162 screens while its best markets were the U.K. at $2.01 million on 512 screens and France at $1.47 on 611. In both those latter markets the film has been in release for more than a month and as earned $59.9 million and $22.5 million respectively. Overall Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has earned $126.8 million internationally, and nearly $325 million worldwide.

A first place opening in Italy bumped Herbie: Fully Loaded into third place on the international charts with $5.5 million over the weekend for a $59 million running tally. The film made $1.145 million on 354 screens earning a close first place finish in the process. It also slipped by a mere 13% during its fourth weekend in the U.K. adding $780,000 to its $8.36 million box office so far.

Bewitched jumped up to fourth spot this weekend thanks to openings in a pair of major markets in Asia. In Japan the film finished in third place with $1.45 million on 314 screens while in South Korea the film debuted in fourth place with $600,000 on 98 screens over the weekend, ($750,000 since Thursday.) Overall the film made $4.8 million in 28 markets for a running tally of $21.9 million, $7.4 million of that coming from Australia alone.

There was a new film in the top five with The Dukes of Hazzard making its international debut in 5 markets. It earned a better than expected $3.10 million on 447 screens in the U.K., easily enough for first place. However, every other market the film struggled in, in particular in France where the film could do no better than 10th place with $540,000 on 243 screens. It did relatively better in Mexico with $430,000 on 260 screens, Spain with $295,000 on 250 screens, and Iceland with $23,000 on 3 screens. Add it up and you have $4.4 million on 1200 screens and a good idea that the movie will only succeed in English speaking markets.


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Filed under: International Box Office, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Dukes of Hazzard, Herbie: Fully Loaded, Bewitched, The Island