International Details - Curse's Foiled by Invisibles

December 23, 2006

An abridged list today as the holidays are right upon us.

Curse of the Golden Flower started its international run in its native China with a record breaking $12.27 million on 826 screens. That was almost enough to reach the top five falling just short to Arthur & the Invisibles and its $12.47 million.

• New releases pushed Flushed Away into seventh place with $10.46 million on 4348 screens in 33 markets lifting its international total of $48.02 million. Its best debut was in Mexico where it earned $1.15 million on 336 screens finishing with the best per screen average in the top ten there. Its best market overall was the U.K. where it was down 36% to $1.53 million on 464 screens for a total of $11.36 million so far. That's more than it here domestically, taking into account the size of the two markets, but less than expectations.
• Deja Vu climbed a spot to 8th with $8.72 million on 2279 screens in 18 markets for an international total of $22.82 million. The film opened in fifth place in the U.K. with $1.95 million on 363 screens and third in France and Italy with $1.8 million on 447 screens and $1.38 million on 251, respectively.
• The Departed fell out of the top ten with $4.41 million on 1997 screens in 33 markets for a total of $111.98 million. The film held on reasonably well during its second weekend in Germany down 36% to $1.44 million on 432 screens for a total of $4.46 million so far. The film is just a $1 million or so from topping Gangs of New York as Martin Scorsese's biggest international hit, which is the last milestone for the film to reach.
• Letters From Iwo Jima fell 27% during its second weekend in Japan, which is a little on the high side for that market. But it was still able to remain first place there and 13th internationally with $3.13 million on 401 screens for a total of $12.08 million.
• Open Season tumbled from 6th to 14th with $2.42 million on 2333 screens in 43 markets. In Italy it fell from first to fifth with $623,00 on 375 screens for a total of $2.66 million. The sharp drop-off and lack of major markets left to open it put a dent in its shot at $100 million internationally, but with $90.79 million already, it could still get there.
• Borat also tumbled down the charts falling from 7th to 15th with $2.24 million on 1291 screens in 17 markets for a total of $108.82 million. However, since this is so much more than expectations, the studio should still be ecstatic regardless of the film's performance from now on.
• The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause held on better dropping just 26%, but still fell 8 places to 18th. Over the weekend it made $1.93 million on 1275 screens in $16.56 million. Over half the weekend and running total came from the U.K. where it added $1.09 million on 410 screens for a total of $8.55 million.
• Apocalypto started its international run in 5 markets but only managed $1.41 million on 421 screens over the weekend and $1.76 million in total, which was barely enough to land in 20th place. The film managed just seventh place in Germany where it only made $478,000 on 202 screens.
• Saw III had the worst week-to-week drop-off on the charts this week falling 55% and 14 places to $1.11 million on 827 screens in 22 markets for a total of $61.83 million.
• Perfume: The Story of a Murderer fell to 27th place, but it continued its climb to $100 million nonetheless. Over the weekend it added $1.09 million on 638 screens in 11 markets for a total of $95.54 million and should have no trouble reaching $100 million. The film might even get there before it opens in limited release here on the 27th.
• The Wild managed 28th place in its return to the international charts with $1.06 million on 291 screens in 3 markets for a total of $58.95 million. Almost all of that came from Japan where the film earned 8th place with $1.05 million on 276 screens, but that is well below the $5000 per screen average that usual indicates strong legs in the market. This means despite being tantalizingly close, this film will fall short of $100 million worldwide.
• The Nativity Story lost nearly half of its box office this week falling to 29th place with $1.03 million on 1563 screens in 37 markets for a pathetic total of $6.06 million. The film has almost no major markets left to open in, and unless it become a big seller on the home market, it will be a money loser for the studio.
• Black Christmas started its international run in the U.K. but only placed 8th with $716,000 on 232 screens during its debut weekend. Given this figure, the prediction of just over $2 million might be a tad generous.

Filed under: International Box Office, The Departed, Borat, Open Season, The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, Saw III, Flushed Away, Déjà Vu, The Nativity Story, The Wild, Black Christmas, Letters from Iwo Jima, Man cheng jin dai huang jin jia, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, Apocalypto