Kung Fu Panda Wins Overseas

DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 2 seized for the second consecutive round the weekend’s No. 1 box office spot on the foreign theatrical circuit, generating $58.1 million — nearly $6 million more than Sunday’s projection — from 11,244 venues in 54 markets.

Top ranked domestic title on the weekend, Warner Bros.’ Green Lantern, opened No. 5 foreign circuit spot, drawing a mild-mannered $16 million — $1 million less than Sunday’s estimate — from 3,265 screens in 15 markets.

The film recreation of the DC comics superhero, starring Ryan Reynolds, took the top spot in its U.K. bow ($4.9 million from 907 locations) while landing No. 2 in Russia ($3.2 million from 771 spots). 

Panda 2via Paramount took the top spots in each of its 10 new markets with France leading the list with $8.56 million derived from 725 sites. Germany tally for the 3D sequel was $6.9 million from 699. Spain provided $2.98 million from 767 locations while Belgium opened at 123 spots to $1.3 million.

Panda 2opens in Australia this week. Its foreign gross total stands at $284.2 million.  

Weekend action offshore was spiced somewhat by the introductions of three fresh comedies at the outset of their foreign box office forays.

After playing several miniscule markets, Universal’s Bridesmaids broadened its foreign exposure with openings at 339 sites in seven markets including Australia and New Zealand. Weekend take was $7.3 million for the female-oriented comedy coscripted by and costarring Kirsten Wiig.

Its No. 1 debut in Australia generated $6.8 million from 234 locations while the No. 2 New Zealand bow produced $375,000 from 53 situations. Bridesmaids’ foreign cume is $7.66 million. U.K. and Russia openings are due this week.

Sony’s Bad Teacher, an R-rated comedy costarring Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake about a foul-mouthed junior high school teacher, made its foreign debut in the U.K., finishing No. 3 in the market with $3.2 million drawn from 520 locations. Openings in over 20 overseas European markets are due this week.

20th Century Fox’s Mr. Popper’s Penguins, the Jim Carrey comedy, opened in five small markets – Jamaica, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa and Trinidad – drawing $838,218 from 188 screens. A “long, slow rollout” offshore lands June 23 in Germany followed the by bows in Australia and Brazil next week.

No. 2 on the weekend was Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, which continues to enlarge its foreign gross total with a $26.3 million weekend at 10,450 venues in more than 100 markets. 

Overseas cume stands at $732.3 million, with Disney predicting that the Jerry Bruckheimer production starring Johnny Depp will overtake this week 2003’s The Lord of the Rings:The Return of the King (cume of $742.1 million) as the third biggest box office hit ever to play the foreign circuit.

On Stranger Tideshas rolled up a worldwide gross of $953.1 million, qualifying for the No. 11 spot on the all-time global box office chart. Biggest foreign market remains Japan, where the film has grossed a total of $87.6 million.

Third on the weekend was The Hangover Part 2, which grossed $22.4 million from 5,780 screens in 55 markets, hoisting its foreign cume to $257.6 million. Distributor Warner’s notes the sequel to 2009’s The Hangover is the biggest-grossing R-rated comedy of all time.

The weekend’s No. 4 title was Fox’s X-Men: First Class, which pushed its foreign gross total to $163.3 million thanks to a $21.3 million weekend generated from 8,919 screens in 67 territories. A No. 3 weekend in South Korea resulted in $2.1 million drawn from 380 spots for a market cume of $13.5 million.

Director J.J. Abrams Super 8, produced by Steven Spielberg, has registered $21.6 million in foreign box office after its second round offshore.  Weekend contributed $12 million from 2,445 spots with a Russia debut offering $4.1 million from 596 locations.

In France, Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris is fading at the boxoffice. The Mars Distribution’s release finished in the No. 10 spot in its sixth market weekend, drawing $617,680 from 365 screens for a local cume of $13.9 million.

Also in its sixth France week, Cannes Festival Palme d’Or winner Tree of Life via Europa Film grossed an estimated $905,020 from 351 playdates for a No. 8 market ranking and a cume of $7.7 million. Overall on the weekend, Tree generated $2 million at 1,040 screens in 15 territories. Total overseas cume stands at $15.9 million, with the U.K., Australia, Spain, Japan and South Korea yet to play. 

Taking the No. 7 spot in France in its second round was Memento Films release of Nader and Simin, A Separation, Iranian director Asghar Farhadi’s domestic drama which won the top Golden Bear prize at this years Berlin Film Festival. Weekend provided some $963,684 from 161 screens. Market cume stands at $2.3 million.

Other international cumes:  Sony’s Priest, $46 million; Fox’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, $16.8 million; Universal’s Fast Five $385 million; Fox’s Black Swan, $218.8 million; Universal’s The Adjustment Bureau, $61.5 million; Fox’s Water For Elephants, $56.7 million; Universal’s The Debt, opened in France for $600,000 at 210 sites; Summit Int’l./Alcon Entertainment’s Something Borrowed, $17.8 million; and Universal’sPaul, $55.5 million.

Also, Paramount’s Thor, $259.6 million; Focus Features’ Biutiful, $19.4 million; Universal’s Hop, $68.8 million; Sony and other distributors’ Hanna, $15.9 million; Focus Features’ Beginners, $981,459; Fox’s Rio, $332.3 million; and Focus Features’ Another Year, $15.3 million.