You, Me, Dupree, and the International Details

September 3, 2006

A first place opening in the U.K. helped You, Me & Dupree shoot up the charts nearly reaching the top five. While it did have to settle for sixth place, its $4.32 million on 914 screens in 8 markets was enough to push its still early international total to $13.01 million. Over in the U.K., the film picked up $3.10 million on 409 screens and that was more than double its nearest competitor. The film opened in Iceland over the weekend earning second place to Garfield's A Tail of Two Kitties with $42,000 in three theatres.

• Good news, Lady in the Water had its best weekend of its international run. Bad news, it's still not enough. Overall the film earned $4.28 million on 1269 screens in 19 markets for a total of just $9.57 million internationally. Much of this came from openings in Spain, (third place with $1.99 million on 328 screens), and in France, (fifth place with $1.47 million on 408 screens).
• Snakes on a Plane expanded further this weekend with mixed results. In total the film made $3.88 million on 1197 screens in 18 markets for a two-week total of $8.12 million. This includes first place openings in Australia, ($775,000 on 225 screens), and New Zealand, ($115,000 on 41). On the other hand, it could only manage third in Hong Kong with $189,000 on 24 while it was eighth in Sweden with $76,000 on 25. On the other hand, the film held up better than expected in the U.K. down just 35% to $1.32 million for the weekend and $5.05 million in total.
• Click slipped a couple of spots to ninth with a reasonably strong $3.47 million on 1104 screens in 27 markets for a total of $31.12 million internationally. Adam Sandler has never had that much drawing power internationally, so the lack of pull for this movie is not surprising.
• United 93 climbed into the top ten with $3.25 million on 1009 screens in 26 markets for a total of $28.18 million on the international scene. The film opened in semi-limited release in Spain with $804,000 on 134 screens, earning fourth place in the process, while performing equally well in Portugal with $286,000 on 20.
• The Break-Up fell out of the top ten with $3.21 million on 1475 screens in 43 markets for an international total of $66.98 millio. This is a much better total than most Frat Pack films, but with only one regular in the cast, it is only a borderline entry in their filmography.
• Superman Returns had the worst week-to-week drop-off on the charts this week as it plummeted 57% falling to 12th place in the process. Overall the film added $3.15 million on 2623 screens in 44 markets for a total of $171.68 million. The film was down 54% during its second weekend in Japan, which is an absolutely massive decline for that market, and was even worse in Germany down 67%. However, the film did earn $1.46 million on 490 screens and $640,000 on 616 screens in those two markets lifting its totals to $6.81 million and $3.15 million respectively.
• Gwoemul, a.k.a. The Host, fell from 5th to 13th with $3.14 million on 380 screens for a total of $73.14 million in its native South Korea. Taking into account the relative size of the two markets, that's like earning $750 million here and this had to be a major reason why the film earned a North American release date.
• Gedo senki, a.k.a. Tales From Earthsea remained in first place in Japan with $2.49 million over the weekend for a total of $52.49 million after a month of release.
• Over the Hedge added another $2.04 million on 2226 screens in 25 markets to its international total, a total that currently sits at $154.78 million. The only opening of note was in Turkey where it placed second with $157,000 on 107 screens.
• No Mercy for the Rude opened in second place in South Korea with $1.97 million on 240 screens over the weekend and $2.35 million in total.
• The Wind That Shakes The Barley returned to the charts in 17th place with $1.82 million on 337 screens in 3 markets over the weekend for a total of $8.60 million. Most of that came from the film's third place, $1.66 million opening on 250 screens in France.
• Volver also returned to the charts as it earned $1.76 million on 467 screens in 10 markets lifting its international total to $48.72 million. The film's return to the chart was largely in part to its opening in the U.K.; while the film only managed eighth place with $822,000, it was only playing on 87 screens giving it the best per screen average in the top twenty there. It also did very well in Germany down a mere 7% to $479,000 on 115 screens over the weekend for a total of $3.98 million after four weeks.
• The Sentinel climbed into 19th place with $1.75 million on 945 screens in 18 markets for a total of $20.98 million. Its growth was almost entirely attributable to its opening in Mexico where it finished second with $1.09 million on 396 screens. The film also opened in Finland but only managed fifth place with $41,000 on 15 screens over the weekend and $48,000.
• A handful of smaller openings couldn't prevent The Lake House from falling down the charts tumbling from 13th to 20th place. It's biggest opening over the weekend was Sweden where it missed the top ten with just $16,000 on 16 screens. Overall the film added $1.75 million on 1204 screens in 39 markets to its international total of $43.18 million, which is better than most films of this nature, (dialogue driven dramas), earn internationally.
• Selon Charlie, which might translate into English as Salon Charlie (but it probably doesn't), opened in its native France and a couple of smaller markets over the weekend. Overall it managed to place 21st with $1.71 million on 370 screens, of which $1.61 million came from 350 screens in France. [Ed Note: The actual translation is "Regarding Charlie". Our thanks go to a sharp-eyed reader, whose French is better than ours.]
• Udon opened in its native Japan with $1.62 million on 284 screens; this was good enough for 3 in the market and 22nd overall.
• Hoodwinked! made its returned to the charts with $1.60 million on 593 screens in 8 markets helping its total climb to $30.78 million. Much of that came from the film's third place, $958,000 opening on 300 screens in Mexico, but considering how well that market usually rewards family friendly films, this is a disappointing start.
• Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna continues to evaporate falling 47% while plummeting more than a dozen places to the 24th spot. Over the weekend the Bollywood film added $1.59 million on 511 screens in 14 markets to its international total of $22.30 million.
• Icecakey opened in third place in South Korea with $1.51 million on 232 screens over the weekend and $1.77 million in total.
• Sinking Of Japan added $1.50 million on 322 screens in 2 markets to its international total of $41.04 million.
• Holy Daddy grabbed fourth in South Korea with $1.26 million on 232 screens over the weekend and $1.46 million in total.
• The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift fell ten places to 28th with $1.40 million on 1413 screens in 39 markets and now has $82.28 million, which is more than enough to ensure a profit.
• The Ant Bully also fell ten places, but unlike the film above, its international total of $10.62 million is nowhere near enough to pay for its production costs. That total includes the $1.34 million the film earned this weekend on 1288 screens in 17 markets while the most notable opening for the film was Hong Kong where it managed just fourth with $169,000 on 28 screens over the weekend and $182,000 in total.
• Little Man return to the chart landing in 30th place with $1.11 million on 423 screens in 10 markets for a still early international total of $8.17 million. The film opened in fifth place in Italy with $202,000 on 101 screens while it made just $48,000 on 44 screens in Turkey. This weekend it opens in Germany and will probably make that its most profitable non-English market.
• My Super Ex-Girlfriend just missed the top ten with $1.1 million on 970 screens in 14 markets and now has $13.5 million internationally. This represents a huge drop-off in weekend totals despite adding a handful of markets. However, since its best was Poland at just $69,000 on 40 screens, perhaps it is not surprising that it took such a tumble.
• John Tucker Must Die held up reasonably well in the U.K. adding $966,000 on 272 screens over the weekend for a total of $4.36 million. Meanwhile in its only other international market, it dropped to 10th in Sweden with $68,000 on 25 screens for a total of $217,000, which is better than expected given its target demographic.
• Nacho Libre also dropped out of the top 30, but studio estimates have it adding $1 million to its early international total of $11.30 million.
• Jet Li's Fearless opened in two markets this past weekend scoring third place in Australia with $530,000 on 139 screens but just seven in New Zealand with $52,000 on 19. The studio is obviously hoping the former is a better indicator of its box office potential here.
• The latest studio update for Mission: Impossible 3 has its total reaching $261.1 million including $572,000 this weekend.
• Step Up got its international run off in style with a first place, $498,000 opening on 52 screens in Holland and a total of $546,000 including previews.

Filed under: International Box Office, Superman Returns, Over the Hedge, Click, Mission: Impossible III, The Break-Up, Nacho Libre, You, Me and Dupree, Step Up, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Little Man, The Lake House, Hoodwinked, Lady in the Water, John Tucker Must Die, The Sentinel, Snakes on a Plane, United 93, Huo Yuan Jia, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, Volver, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, Gwoemul