Harry Grows as Goblet Goes Global
November 30, 2005
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire added nearly two dozen more markets this weekend, including several major ones, and that allowed its international haul to grow to $96.8 million on 9,488 screens in 42 markets for a two-week total of $208.9 million.
New openings this weekend included a record-setting debut in both Italy, with $9.9 million on 869 screens, and in Belgium, with $2.8 million on 177.
The film had the second-best opening in several markets, including Spain at $8 million on 527 screens, Brazil with $3.9 million on 550, the Netherlands with $2.7 million on 252, and Greece with $1.5 million on 84.
While it didn't set records, it also had very impressive debuts in both Japan, where it made $14.2 million on 856 screens, and in Argentina, with $1.1 million on 156.
It should be noted that in Japan the film was on par with other entries in the franchise, and that should lead to a $100 million box office in that market.
Speaking of $100 million markets, the film is on track to reach that milestone in the U.K. after dropping just 38% during its second weekend there, adding $15.9 million on 536 screens for running tally of $51.3 million.
Holdovers were less kind in Mexico, where it was down 47% to $3.7 million for the weekend and $13.7 million in total, and in Germany, where it fell 53% to $10.3 million on 1,248 screens for a $34.9 million running total.
So far the film has nearly $410 million worldwide, which puts it just shy of the Top 50 All-Time, but with several more markets coming this week (including a trio of major ones in France, Australia and South Korea), the film should have no trouble making it there by this time next week.
Flightplan is playing a counter-programming role to perfection as it added $8.51 million on 3,119 screens in 41 markets to its $85.5 million international box office.
Its debut in the U.K. was as good as could be expected given the competition; the film debuted there with $3.21 million on 418 screens for a solid second place finish.
It is also still doing brisk business in Spain, with $1.2 million on 304 screens, and in Australia, with $730,000 on 289 screens.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose added a dozen new markets this weekend, and that helped in climb into third place with $7.7 million on 2,317 screens in 43 markets for a international box office of $32.55 million.
The film opened in a pair of major markets but couldn't score a first place finish in either.
Its best in terms of raw dollars was the U.K., where it earned $2.55 million on 359 screens, but it opened in second place in Germany with $1.57 million on 407 screens.
More importantly, it broke the $100 million barrier at the worldwide box office with most of that coming from its domestic run.
The native French film, Palais Royale, opened in a trio of French-speaking markets and performed well enough to capture fourth place with $6.5 million on 542 screens.
It's no surprise that the vast majority of that came from France where it easily finished first with $6.21 million on 513 screens, or roughly 30% of the total box office.
The film also did reasonably well in Belgium with $160,000 on 17 screens, and in Switzerland with $158,000 on just 12.
The competition was just too much for Chicken Little as it slipped on the charts, landing in fifth place with $5.22 million on 2083 screens in 22 markets.
The film had no major openings this weekend, but it did start its French run with an exclusive engagement at the Grand Rex theatre in Paris, and in that one theatre it made $282,000 over the weekend.
Its best market of the weekend was Spain with $1.89 million on 394 screens, but its best market overall continues to be Mexico where the film has made $10 million, including $600,000 during the past week.
Filed under: International Box Office, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chicken Little, Flightplan, The Exorcism of Emily Rose