"Madagascar 3" was first and bowed over the June 8-10 weekend to a stellar $136.7 million worldwide.
Dropping a relatively modest 32% from its opening foreign launch, DreamWorks Animation’s Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted claimed the No. 1 offshore box office spot for the second consecutive weekend with $53.8 million drawn from 11,633 locations in 43 markets.
That puts the overseas gross total accumulated by the second sequel in the animation franchise at $158.4 million.
Europe’s Most Wantedopened in 15 mostly medium-sized territories, taking the top spot in each. But it was the holdover territories that provided most of the b.o. impetus. Russia delivered $9.2 million, pushing the market cume to $35 million. In France, the take was $5 million for a market cume of $14.9 million. Mexico’s $5.2 million pushed the market cume to $15 million.
Spicing offshore weekend action somewhat were a pair of openings day-and-date with U.S. and Canada releases.
Warner Bros.’ Rock of Ages, director Adam Shankman’s big-screen version starring of the hit Broadway musical, played at 1,850 screens in 10 territories. The Tom Cruise vehicle drew $4 million with a U.K. debut garnering $1.57 million from 479 sites. That’s My Boy, Adam Sandler’s latest R-rated comedy costarring Andy Samburg, premiered at 236 screens in Australia for $1.4 million.
Taking the No. 1 weekend spot in Japan and the No. 2 berth overall was Universal’s Snow White and the Huntsman, which grossed $30.5 million overall at 6,404 playdates in 57 territories. Japan via Toho-Towa generated $4.8 million at 335 locations, ranking No. 1 in the market. In France, the film drew $4.8 million from 610 situations.
In Russia, Huntsman drew $6.2 million from 723 spots. Director Rupert Sanders’ period action fantasy costarring Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron has grossed a total of $124 million so far overseas with openings in Australia, New Zealand and Chile due this week. Worldwide gross stands at $246.2 million.
The weekend’s No. 3 spot was occupied by 20th Century Fox’s Prometheus, which registered a solid series of No. 2 openings in Latin, Central and South America from Mexico to Argentina. Weekend overall provided $25.7 million from 8,917 locations in 62 markets.
Best of the new markets were Mexico ($3.16 million at 1,280 spots) and in Brazil ($3 million at 508 sites). Prometheus remained No. 1 in the U.K. by generating $3.2 million in its third round at 522 sites for a market cume of $19.5 million. Overseas cume for the Ridley Scott sci-fi/action title stands at nearly $130 million ($129.1 million).
Television broadcasts of Euro Cup soccer matches continue to undercut theatrical attendance on the Continent in specific markets depending on which teams are playing. Box office in the U.K., for example, was off nearly 60% on Friday when the national team took on and beat Sweden. U.K. theatrical action rebounded on Saturday.
On Sunday, box office dropped in Denmark, Germany, Portugal and the Netherlands as these national teams play one another. More general b.o. erosion is due in a week or so as tournament semi-finals and finals action get underway drawing bigger cross-national tv audiences.
Far and away the best overseas grosser of the MIB franchise, Men In Black III pushed its foreign cume to $393.6 million accumulated since May 23. The weekend provided another $19.9 million drawn from 10,858 screens in 88 markets.
The previous franchise champ was the 1997 original, which grossed a total of $338.7 million offshore. Top current market remains Japan (via Toho-Towa) where the cume is $33.7 million. MIB3 ranks No. 4 on the weekend.
Resurfacing in fifth place was Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games, which opened in China to an estimated $9.6 million. Weekend at 19 markets came up with $9.8 million, pushing the film’s international cume to $258.9 million and its worldwide tally to $660.8 million.
Marvel’s The Avengers from Disney continues its two-month chug along on the foreign circuit, registering another $4.5 million from playdates in 56 markets, lifting its foreign gross total to $833.7 million. Worldwide gross stands at $1.421 billion, making the film the No. 4 best-grossing title ever released overseas.
Opening in Singapore, Italy and Taiwan, The Dictator from Paramount, drew $4.53 million overall in its fifth round at 2,008 situations in 35 territories. Foreign cume for the Sacha Baron Cohen comedy stands at $76.7 million. The No. 1 debut in Italy, which Paramount noted was a “soft market,” came up with $942,000 from 350 sites. France and Lebanon open this week.
Top grossing local language newcomer in France was Studio Canal’s release of Bienvenue Parmi Nous (Welcome Back), director Jean Becker’s drama bout a disenchanted 60-year-old painter’s encounter with a teenage girl. Costarring Patrick Chesnais, Jeanne Lambert and Miou, Miou, the film opened to an estimated $621,239 at some 356 screens.
Other international cumes: Focus Features/Universal’s Moonrise Kingdom, $8.5 million; Warner Bros.’ Dark Shadows, $135 million (thanks to a $2.8 million weekend at 2,900 screens in 50 markets); Sony’s 21 Jump Street, $57.6 million; Universal’s American Pie: Reunion, $174.3 million; and Fox’s The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, $83.9 million.
Also, UGC’s Rust and Bone, $12.9 million in France only; Universal’s Hanni and Nanni 2, $5 million in Germany, Austria and Switzerland; Fox’s This Means War, $101.3 million (thanks to a $1.6 million opening in China at 1,500 sites); Universal’s Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, $98.7 million; Fox’s We Bought A Zoo, $43.2 million; Universal’s Battleship, $235.7 million; and Sony’s Jack and Jill, $76.3 million (worldwide $150.5 million).
