Incredibles have a Super Weekend

December 1, 2004

With a nearly 3-1 lead over its nearest competitor, The Incredibles took top spot on the International Box Office charts this week with $44.3 million on 4,362 screens in 22 markets for a running tally of $59.1 million. The film opened number one in all twelve markets and in a few of the markets the film debuted in this week it was able to break the record for biggest debut by an animated films. However, in others it fell short to either Finding Nemo, (France) or Shrek 2 (the U.K. and Spain.) Its biggest single market was the U.K., where the brought in $18.1 million, including sneak peaks, which was a Disney record. Other highlights include $9.2 million in France, $5.6 million in Spain, $5.4 million in Italy, and $1.3 million in Belgium. Considering the results so far it should challenge for supremacy among the elite animated films and $400 million to $500 million isn't out of the question.

As with the original, Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason is seeing strong success in the European markets. However, the first film only did fare business in Asian and suffered in Latin America. If this week's debuts in the later two regions are any indication, that dichotomy will be even more extreme with this film. In Singapore the film pulled in $257,000, which was just ahead of the original, however, the sequel effect will likely result in much shorter legs. And the news is even worse in Mexico were the film only managed $302,000, 20% below the first's performance. Offsetting these disappointments were strong debuts in Russia, ($1.0 million) and several smaller markets. Overall the film earned $14.9 million on 2000 screens in 25 markets for an international box office of $84.2 million so far.

Howl's Moving Castle showed last weekend's blockbuster result in Japan was no fluke. This week the film dropped just 16% to $12.1 million and pushed its box office to an amazing $45.7 million there. The industry is still waiting for an Anime film to earn widespread mainstream success Stateside, but until audiences accept the format, that is unlikely.

While Polar Express started poorly in Australia and New Zealand, it was able to hold onto most of its box office there. Combined with fare openings in a couple mid-level markets and weak openings in a couple major markets, it allowed the film to popped into the top five on the international charts this week with $8.2 million. Its best result in terms of raw dollars was $2.1 million in Germany, good enough for third place, but it finished first in Mexico with $1.855 million. Other highlights include $1.8 million in Japan, $395,000 in Brazil.

National Treasure started its international run by rounding out the top five with $7.7 million this weekend, including a first place, $4.3 million debut in Germany. The film also did well in Australia taking in $1.5 million as well as several smaller markets.

Other highlights on the international scene include:

• Alexander may have flopped domestically, but it looks like it should do much brisker business internationally. In its first weekend of release the fill pulled in $7.4 million from 848 screens in 10 markets, a very impressing per screen average. Half that figure came from Russia where the film finished first with $3.7 million in 345 screens, but the film also finished first in Taiwan ($1.1 million on 190), Thailand ($476,000 on 110), Sweden ($474,000 on 61) and Denmark ($420,000 on 48.) It's clear that the film's international run will outperform its domestic haul, but probably not enough to put the film in the black.
• Shall We Dance? took in another $4.0 million dollars raising its international total to $48.5 million and its worldwide total to $103.2 million. Without any major openings till February, there's a good chance this film will drop below the radar in a short while before continuing its amazing run.
• The Forgotten opened in the U.K. with $1.2 million on 302 screens, a fare result but nothing special. Over the weekend the film added $3.0 million to its anemic $26.4 million international box office, and the film has already opened in 33 markets.
Thanks to a better than expected holdover in Spain, Alien vs. Predator was able to bring in an estimate $3 million over the weekend to push its worldwide total to $151.5 million.
• Seven Dwarfs finally opened in a non-German speaking market, sort of. The film played on three screens in Belgium, but these were in an area of the county with a large German speaking population. The film took in nearly $25,000 for a healthy per screen average, but that was just a drop in the bucket compared to its $2.8 million box office. Thus far, the film has earned $48.8 million making it one of the biggest non-American hits of the year.
• After opening well in the U.K., The Manchurian Candidate saw its fortune there drop by more than 40% to just $700,000. That was a large chunk of the film's $2.7 million weekend, which pushed its international box office to just $23.2 million in 25 markets.
• Without any new releases, A Very Long Engagement dropped to $2.1 million over the weekend lifting its international tally to $34.1 million.
• The Grudge held up better than expected in Australia and the U.K. taking in a combined $1.7 million lifting its international tally to $16.4 million so far.
• Bad Santa held up very well in Italy, while plummeting in Germany. Add in a $700,000, fifth place opening in semi-limited release in Australia and the film picked up $1.7 million over the weekend and $8.1 million overall.
• Exorcist: The Beginning held up better than expected in France, but that's small conciliation for a film that has struggled in nearly every market it has played in, (the only exceptions seem to be in markets with a heavy Catholic population.) This week the film brought in an estimated $1.6 million to lift its international total to $24 million.
• Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid's debut in Spain couldn't top Alien vs. Predator's sophomore stint in the market. The $1.1 million it did bring in was the lion's share of its $1.5 million weekend. The film, which has brought in just $29.0 million in 27 markets is one or two weeks from topping its $31.5 million domestic run.
• Cellular opened better than expecting in Brazil with a third place, $500,000 debut. Combined with its holdovers, (including $700,000 during its second weekend in France) and the film brought in $1.4 million. However, overall the film has only managed $11.7 million after opening in 21 markets. Very disappointing indeed.
• Twisted opened with an unexpected $1.3 million, second place finish in Italy over the weekend. The film has only one more mid-level market to open in (South Korea) but internationally it has made less than half of what it made domestically, $12.5 million to $25.2 million.
• Increased competition from an animated films is really hurting Shark Tale's box office. This weekend the film dropped more than 60% to just $1.2 million. However, on the bright side it is now sitting at $147 million internationally, and should hit $150 million by the time the next round of openings begin.
• It looks like Germans have better taste in movies than some give them credit for as Christmas with the Kranks bombed in its international debut. Movies with low brow, physical comedy tend to do very well in the region and the studio was hoping to use a strong start here to boost the film's chances in the rest of Europe. However, the best the film could do, (in terms of raw box office) was a $768,000, fifth place start in Germany, well barely doing relatively better in Austria ($130,000) and Switzerland ($115,000.)
• G.O.R.A, the Turkish Star Wars spoof has gotten off to a great start earning more than $1 million this weekend and soon its total box office will top its estimated $5 million production budget while playing in just Germany and Turkey.
• In what could be its last appearance on this chart, Collateral could barely crack $1 million over the weekend while its international box office now sits at $111.7 million.
• Taxi opened in the U.K> continues to suffer internationally losing half its weekly box office landing at just under $1.0 million. So far the film has only been able to make $8.5 million.
• The Director's Cut of Donnie Darko opened in Italy over the weekend taking third place with $800,000. Even with almost no legs the film should be able to match its total domestic box office in this one market. It's not very often that happens.
• House of Flying Daggers lost about half its weekend box office in France to land at $800,000. However, the film has already proven profitable with $45 million in the bank and its international run as only just begun.
• After the Sunset lost 45% of its opening box office to land at just $700,000 in the U.K. lifting its tally in the market to just $2.6 million so far.
• White Chicks opened in second place in Brazil with $600,000.
• Veer-Zaara earned just under $400,000 in its third weekend in the U.K. to raise its total in the market to $2.7 million.
• Bad Education took in $400,000 in Brazil on just 74 screens, good enough for a third place finish.
• The Machinist held up very well in Italy taking in another $400,000 raising its box office in the market to $1.1 million.
• Beyond the Sea, the Bobby Darin Biopic, opened in the U.K. but could only manage a $350,000, ninth place finish on 207 screens.
• Garden State was able to do something in Australian that it wasn't able to do domestically, finish in the top ten. During its second week of release the film earned a sixth place finish with $300,000 on just 55 screens.

Source: Variety

Filed under: International Box Office, The Incredibles, The Polar Express, National Treasure, Shark Tale, The Grudge, Collateral, AVP: Alien Vs. Predator, Christmas with the Kranks, White Chicks, The Forgotten, The Manchurian Candidate, Bad Santa, Shall We Dance?, Exorcist: The Beginning, Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason, Taxi, Alexander, Cellular, Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid, Garden State, Twisted, Beyond the Sea, Veer-Zaara, The Machinist, After the Sunset