Foreign Box Office: 'Spider-Man' Third Best Launch of 2012; 'Ice Age 4' Melts to No. 2

With the July 1 conclusion of the Euro soccer tournament, a month-long event that drained theatrical attendance in Continental Europe, Sony’s The Amazing Spider-Man amply displayed this round its foreign box office muscle, claiming the No. 1 by collecting $126.8 million (including previews) from 18,313 locations in 69 markets.

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The fourth installment in the blockbuster series opened overseas last stanza on a limited basis, and has collected to date $200.2 in offshore b.o. since June 27. Before the arrival of The Amazing Spider-Man, the blockbuster series registered $2.5 billion worldwide.

Distributor Sony said Amazing ranked No. 1 in more than 30 territories with the U.K. leading the list ($17.4 million at 1,561 locales). Russia kicked in $10.8 million from 1,107 spots while Mexico contributed $9.4 million at 2,716 venues.  A No. 2 France opener generated $8 million drawn from 902 locations.

Best foreign grosser of the tentpole franchise is 2007’s Spider-Man 3, which grossed $554.3 million offshore. Amazing has quite a ways to go on the foreign theatrical circuit, and opens in 15 territories this week. Separately, IMEX said its situations have grossed $24 million so far offshore with $10 stemming from 137 screens on the weekend.

With a U.S. and Canada opening on tap this week, 20th Century Fox’s Ice Age: Continental Drift will arrive domestically with a $200.1million  box office cushion thanks to its No. 2 weekend stanza on the foreign theatrical circuit – down from first place in the prior round -- drawing $82.4 million (including U.K. previews) at 11,050 locations in 49 markets.

The latest sequel in Blue Sky Studio’s computer animation franchise – which has $1.918 billion worldwide over the last decade – held especially well in Argentina and Peru, and set the market record for an animation title in Germany, drawing $15.2 million from 1,178 sites. A No. 1 second weekend in France claimed $9.3 million from 1,030 situations for a market cume of $24.6 million.  The latest Ice Age opens in 17 territories this week.

The weekend in other foreign action was notable for a trio of new entries.

Universal’s Ted, director Seth MacFarlane’s comedy-fantasy starring Mark Wahlberg, opened No. 1 in Australia and Taiwan, collecting $15.5 million from 293 dates in the two markets. The Australia opener provided $13.5 million (including previews) at 230 sites for an astounding per-screen average of nearly $58,700.Ted ranks No. 3 on the weekend.

Fourth was Fox’s Star Studios coproduction of Bol Bachchan, a Bollywood comedy in Hindi from director Rohit Shetty, which opened smashingly in India (No. 1 with $10.3 million at 2,650 sites) day and date with its domestic opening.  Weekend overall came up with $11.4 million drawn from 2,774 situations in eight countries.

Paramount’s release of Katy Perry: Part of Me opened in Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and in the U.K., grossing $2.25 million at 771 sites. Australia bow for the 3D documentary of the 27-year-old singer’s California Dreams world tour, also covering the end of her marriage to British comedian Russell Brand, generated $1.4 million collected over seven days at 245 locations.

No. 5 on the weekend, Universal’s Snow White and the Huntsman, has exceeded the $200-million total foreign gross mark ($204.1 million) after a $8.2 million weekend at 4,268 playdates in 57 territories. The film is destined to open in another three markets including Italy over the coming two months.

DreamWorks Animation’s Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted has grossed a total of $259.3 million offshore to date after a $7.9 million weekend at 6,169 sites in 41 markets. Pixar’sBrave has accumulated $36.6 million in foreign gross so far after a $4.2 million weekend playing in 13 territories, which distributor Disney describes as “representing about 16% of the international market.”

Fox’s Abraham Lincoln: Vampire elevated its foreign cume to $25.3 million thanks to a $5.3 million weekend at 2,768 sites in 24 territories. Sony’s Men In Black III tentpole has recorded $436.6 million in overseas box office gathered since May 23, including its $3.2 million weekend at 2,500 locations in 88 markets.

Director Ridley Scott’s sci-fi/action title, Prometheus, lifted its overseas gross total to $172.5 million after a $2.2 million weekend at 2,276 spots in 48 markets. Warner Bros.’ Dark Shadows, starring Johnny Depp, upped its foreign cume to $156.8 million after a $2.34 million weekend at 1,680 screens in 38 territories.  

In France, Pathe’s romantic comedy Un Bonheur n’arrive jamais seul (Happiness Never Arrives Alone) drew $2.3 million in its second round at 510 sites, finishing No. 3 in the market. France cume stands at 6.8 million. Paramount’s release of the Sacha Baron Cohen comedy, The Dictator, drew $2.1 million in its eighth foreign round at 1,594 locations in 34 markets, lifting its cume to nearly $100 million ($93 million).

Other international cumes:Universal’s The Five-Year Engagement, $14.8 million; Warner Bros.’ Tengo Ganas De Ti, $11.4 million in Spain only; Universal’s American Pie: Reunion, $176.8 million; Focus Features/Universal’s Moonrise Kingdom, $12.3 million; Marvel/Disney’s The Avengers, $843.1 million (worldwide,$1.454 billion); Universal’s The Raven, $2.2 million; Focus Features’ To Rome With Love, $15.3 million; Sony’s 21 Jump Street, $61.5 million; Universal’s Hanni and Nanni 2, $6 million in three markets; and Universal’s Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, $99.6 million.

Opening This Week: Universal’s release of director Oliver Stone’s crime drama, Savages, in Mexico and Turkey.