The boxoffice power of Oscar was demonstrated during the weekend as “Sweeney Todd,” fueled by three Academy Award nominations, seized the No. 1 spot internationally, grossing an estimated $18.7 million from 1,760 screens in 11 markets. Its early overseas total stands at $30 million.
Best picture nominees “No Country for Old Men” and “Atonement” either registered gains or held strongly overseas.
Paramount Pictures International’s release of the Coen brothers’ “No Country” drew an estimated $4.8 million from 671 spots in six markets, four new. The best was France, where the crime drama opened at No. 2 with $2.4 million from 360 situations. Universal International’s “Atonement” grossed an estimated $3.5 million from 1,075 screens in 30 territories, lifting its international total to $55.5 million; worldwide, it stands at $93.1 million.
20th Century Fox International’s “Juno,” with four Oscar nominations, rolled up a lusty $17,889 per-screen average in its Sweden bow, an estimated $161,000 from just nine locations. Thanks to a strong Australia run, the sleeper hit drew $1.5 million for the weekend from 208 screens in three markets for an overseas cume of $4.4 million.
Universal’s “Charlie Wilson’s War,” with 40 territories still to play, pulled in an estimated $3.7 million during the weekend from 1,100 situations in 16 markets, lifting its overseas cume to $15.4 million. Universal’s “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” drew an estimated $250,000 from 348 sites in 25 markets for a cume of $48.2 million. Universal’s Spain opening of Sean Penn’s “Into the Wild” came away with $250,000 from 81 screens, ranking 12th in the market.
The biggest driver for “Todd” was its No. 1 U.K. opening with $8.7 million (including previews) from 436 situations. Distributor Warner Bros. International said the tally represented nearly 50% of the market’s top five film grosses. “Todd” also had a muscular bow in France, taking the No. 1 spot with an estimated $4.4 million from 365 locations, and a No. 1 second frame in Japan, where it earned $2.3 million from 400 sites.
Finishing No. 2 for the weekend was Warners’ “I Am Legend,” which had been No. 1 overseas for the past five frames. The Will Smith vehicle came up with an estimated $15.8 million from about 5,400 sites in 57 markets. Its overseas cume stands at $290 million.
With solid openings in the key markets of Germany, Italy and Mexico, Warners’ “The Bucket List,” starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, debuted internationally with an estimated $4.5 million from about 1,000 screens. The tally in Germany was $1.6 million from 367 locations. Italy provided $1.1 million from 246 locales. The film bows Friday in Spain.
New Line Cinema did not provide a weekend estimate for “The Golden Compass,” the recipient of three Oscar nominations. As of Jan. 24, the fantasy adventure had grossed $249.6 million overseas versus $68.5 domestic.
The weekend’s No. 3 title, Disney’s “National Treasure: Book of Secrets,” picked up steam thanks to solid openings in Germany, Brazil, Austria and German-speaking Switzerland. The family adventure’s weekend tally was an estimated $13 million from 3,929 screens in 35 territories for an overseas total of $159.5 million; worldwide, it stands at $360 million. A No. 1 debut in Germany provided $5.6 million from 600 sites for a $9,333 per-screen average.
“Cloverfield,” from Paramount, finished No. 4 by broadening its run by a dozen markets for an estimated $9.2 million from 1,345 screens in 18 territories. A Russia debut garnered $3.5 million from 394 spots, while Korea provided $2.4 million from 265 locations, sufficient for a No. 2 market ranking. Directed by Matt Reeves, the sci-fi outing has tallied $15 million so far overseas and $79.3 million worldwide.
Universal’s “American Gangster,” which finished No. 5, flew past the $100 million mark internationally thanks to an estimated $7.5 million during the weekend from 1,579 screens in 43 markets. The drama’s cume stands at $104.3 million with five more territories to play.
Fox’s “Alvin and the Chipmunks” also crossed the $100 million mark overseas, landing at $105.6 million thanks to an estimated $6.5 million from about 3,000 screens in 39 markets. The same distributor’s “Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem” grossed $6.1 million from about 3,500 screens in 53 territories for a cume of $79.3 million.
A Thailand opening for Disney’s “Enchanted” registered an estimated $375,000 from 40 sites for a per-screen average of $9,375. Overall, the film’s weekend tally was $4.1 million from 3,750 screens in 31 markets, good for an overseas cume of $167.2 million.
DreamWorks Animation/Paramount’s “Bee Movie” had a bland Japan opening, grossing an estimated $710,000 from 231 screens. The film’s total weekend take was $3.1 million from 2,627 sites for an overseas cume of $152.1 million.
Fox’s “27 Dresses” tallied an estimated $2 million from 330 screens in four markets for a cume of $11 million. The biggest contributor was Australia, where the weekend take for the romantic comedy was $1.3 million in its third weekend from 19 screens for a market cume of $9.6 million.
Sony’s “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” opened at No. 12 in Australia to an estimated 325,000 from 150 screens, and it ranked 15th in its second weekend in the U.K. with $185,000 from 196 spots. Its overseas cume stands at $1.3 million.
Other overseas cume updates: Fox’s “Hitman,” $50.1 million; DreamWorks/Paramount’s “The Kite Runner,” $12.5 million; Sony’s “The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep,” $8.2 million; Fox’s “The Darjeeling Limited,” $10.9 million; and Universal’s “Lust, Caution,” $4.1 million (Universal territories only).
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