"With "Avatar" poised to blanket the foreign circuit this week, Summit Entertainment's "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" ends its monthlong rule as the No. 1 title overseas with a weekend gross of $23.2 million from 8,735 screens in 66 markets, raising its offshore cume to $360.1 million.

The offshore circuit is primed for the arrival of "Avatar," the much-anticipated 3D epic from director James Cameron, which 20th Century Fox will begin rolling out Wednesday. "Avatar" will play some 16,550 foreign screens in about 106 territories with most openings coinciding with the film's domestic debut Friday.

"New Moon" enjoyed a strong month on top of the foreign charts. Combined with its domestic cume, the teen favorite has racked up a worldwide gross of $627.5 million.

Opening in 10 foreign markets day-and-date with its No. 1 domestic debut was Disney Animation's fairy tale "The Princess and the Frog," which garnered $7.2 million from 1,486 situations. In the U.K., Warner Bros. opened "Where the Wild Things Are," director Spike Jonze's adaptation of the Maurice Sendak children's story, in the No. 2 spot with a gross of $1.44 million from 491 locations.

In addition, Warner Bros. opened director Clint Eastwood's "Invictus" with Morgan Freeman co-starring as former South African President Nelson Mandela at 73 screens in South Africa. Take for the rugby-related title, which co-stars Matt Damon, came to $204,000 drawn from 73 screens, which Warner Bros. says is the biggest ever opening figure of any Eastwood title in the market.

The weekend's most explosive solo-title opening occurred in Japan, where Toei Animation/Fuji TV's "One Piece Film: Strong World," the latest in a long series of animation fantasy or "anime" films, took the No. 1 market spot with $11.7 million drawn from just 188 locations. Average gross per-screen was a humongous $62,234, a new record for a national release in Japan. The latest "One Piece" ranked overall as the weekend's No. 4 title.

Ranking No. 2 on the weekend was Sony's "2012," which grabbed $20 million from 8,540 situations in 77 markets. Overseas cume so far stands at $555.6 million, making director Roland Emmerich's disaster epic the 13th-biggest international release of all time and the biggest ever from Sony Pictures Releasing International.

Third was "Disney's A Christmas Carol" with Jim Carrey as Scrooge, which generated $13.9 million from 5,298 situations in 50 markets and an overseas cume of $145.8 million. Worldwide, it has grossed $270.3 million. Director Robert Zemeckis' 3D performance-capture version of the Charles Dickens novella finished at No. 1 in the U.K. with $2.5 million in its sixth weekend playing at 434 screens for a market cume of $26 million.

Finishing No. 5 on the weekend was the No. 1 title in Germany and Austria for a second straight weekend, Warner Bros.' local-language German co-production "Zweiohrkuken," a romantic comedy written, directed and co-authored by Til Schweiger. Its second-round take from the two markets was $7.25 million from a combined 809 screens for market cumes of $18.7 million in Germany and $1.6 million in Austria.

The No. 1 title in France, "Arthur et la vengeance de Maltazard," grossed an estimated $6.4 million in its second round at 925 situations. Cume for the English-language family-oriented animation title from director/co-writer Luc Besson stands at $17.9 million in France only.

Early but incomplete reports indicate that low-budget phenomenon "Paranormal Activity" is holding well in its 27-market run on the foreign circuit. Director Oren Peli's horror-thriller finished with $2 million from 244 sites in France for a market cume of $7.3 million. In its second Australia round, the tally was $1.5 million from 227 spots for a market cume of $5.2 million. A No. 4 finish in the U.K. provided $1.2 million from 399 screens for a market cume of $14.2 million.

Total weekend action is estimated at $5.5 million. IM Global, which is handling the title overseas, says "Paranormal" has grossed a total of $34.7 million as of the end of last week. Weekend action is likely to push the title near or over $40 million.

"Up" now ranks as the third-biggest-grossing Pixar/Disney animation title ever released with a total foreign take of $401.7 million. The weekend overall generated $6.5 million from 663 locations, mostly in Japan, where it ranked No. 2. Its Japan market cume is $17.3 million. "Up's" total foreign take still trails that of the 2007 Pixar/Disney predecessor "Ratatouille" (which grossed $414 million foreign).

Disney's "Old Dogs" laughed all the way to $3.4 million from 1,142 sites in six markets. Cume for the John Travolta-Robin Williams comedy stands at $13 million. Warner's action title "Ninja Assassin" drew $3.1 million from 1,350 situations in 20 markets, pushing its cume to $17.3 million.

No. 1 in Spain for a second straight weekend was Fox's "Spanish Movie," director Javier Ruiz Caldera's local-language spoof of contemporary Spanish films. Weekend take was an estimated $1.7 million from 382 sites for a market cume of $7.2 million.

Top newcomer in France was No. 2-ranked "R.T.T." from Studio Canal, director Frederic Berthe's comedy filmed largely in Miami. Opening gross was an estimated $2.8 million from 525 locations. Debuting at No. 3 in the market was Pathe's "Loup," director Nicolas Vanmier's drama about a young reindeer herdsman. Opening figure was an estimated $2.1 million from 512 spots.

Other international cumes: Fox's "Jennifer's Body," $16.5 million; Universal's "Public Enemies," $110.7 million (after a $1.9 million weekend in Japan at 325 spots); Sony's "Zombieland," $17.7 million; Paramount's "Law Abiding Citizen," $7.8 million; Disney's "G-Force," $165.6 million; Sony's "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs," $72.2 million; and the Weinstein Co./Universal's "Inglourious Basterds," $197.7 million.

Also: Universal's "Couples Retreat," $46 million; Paramount's "Celda 211," $11.2 million (Spain only); Studio Canal's "Le villain," $5.7 million (in France only); Universal and other distributors' "Los Abrazos Rotas" (Broken Embraces), $32 million from 29 markets; Focus Features/Universal's "A Serious Man," $6.3 million; Universal's "The Invention of Lying," $13 million (from six markets); Screen Gems/Sony's "Armored," $600,000 (in six markets); and Universal's "Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant," $11.7 million.

And: DreamWorks/Universal's "The Soloist," $6.1 million; Paramount's "An Education," $1.9 million; Focus Features' "Love Happens," $8.8 million; Focus Features/Universal's "9," $15.2 million; and Paramount's "Capitalism: A Love Story," $1.4 million. "

SOURCE

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SD had Up at 16M in japan and HR is reporting its japanese total at 17.3M. But its overall total went up only by 0.3M. its still a great hold bcos of monster manga release. 62K PTA is crazy.

China's box office last week:

1. A Simple Noodle Story (三枪拍案惊奇) - 101.32m ($14.84m), New, 101.32m ($14.84m)
2. The Treasure Hunter (刺陵) - 34m ($4.98m), New, 34m ($4.98m)
3. The Storm Riders 2 (风云2)- 30m ($4.39m), New, 30m ($4.39m)
4. 2012- 23m ($3.37m), -68.5%, 447m ($65.5m)
5. Mulan (花木兰)- 9.8m ($1.44m), -76.7%, 82.3m ($12.06m)
6. G-Force (豚鼠特工队)- 2.5m ($0.37m), -73.7%, 26m ($3.81m)
7. Twilight (暮光之城)- 1.3m ($0.19m), -75.0%, 11.5m ($1.68m)
8. District 9 (第九区)- 1.3m ($0.19m), -78.3%, 12.7m ($1.86m)

2012's box-officer is simply crazy there. Its international break-out is partly thanks to China.

A simple noodle story? WTF?

Those are the best...

I suppose the Blood Simple remake?

Yep, the setting was transferred from a Texas bar to an isolated noodle restaurant in the northern desert of China.

I can't believe 2012 is cleaning up overseas. It wasn't even that good as a disaster pic really.

ya i kinda agree. But it had a global feel to it. It showcased Indians, Chinese and Russians prominently and that is why overperformed in all those markets.

"Director James Cameron's "Avatar" commanded the international circuit on the weekend, soaring to No. 1 with boxoffice of $159.2 million in its opening five days from 14,461 screens in 106 territories.

Distributor 20th Century Fox says the much-anticipated futuristic 3D spectacle's worldwide gross total of $232.2 million ranks as the "highest-grossing nonfranchise, nonsequel opening ever." The overseas per-screen average was $11,008.

"We are off to a great start," said Paul Hanneman, co-president of Fox Theatrical International, who noted that "Avatar," while benefiting from solid reviews overseas, had to defy tough winter weather in many European markets. On the basis of favorable word-of-mouth, Hanneman predicts "Avatar" grosses will hold relatively strongly in the coming weeks.

"We played 106 markets, and we were No. 1 in all of them," he added.

Markets generating weekend tallies of at least $10 million were Russia ($21 million from 1,326 sites), France ($19 million from 1,083 locations), the U.K. ($14.2 million from 1,130 situations), Germany ($13.2 million from 1,128 screens), Australia ($11.3 million from 588 locations), Spain ($11 million from 789 screens) and South Korea ($10.8 million from 860 sites).

Fox said that 25% of the total screens played were 3D locations (3,671), and those sites contributed 56% of the offshore weekend gross. As a result of the weekend action, Fox says it will exceed $2 billion in 2009 total overseas boxoffice by Monday.

With its reported production cost of some $280 million plus a $150 million marketing tab, "Avatar" very much needs to generate exceptionally strong offshore boxoffice. Cameron's sweeping romantic drama "Titanic" did precisely that, scoring overseas boxoffice of $1.25 billion, more than double the $601 million the 1997 title drew in North America.

The "Avatar" launch is by no means a record. Warner Bros.' "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" set the current record in July when it raked in $236 million over five days from 15,800 screens in 54 markets. The previous record-holder was Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," which opened in May 2007 to $218.4 million over five days.

Nonetheless, "Avatar's" opening offshore figure is impressive given that it is not a franchise title. Only six films in 2009 have grossed more than $100 million in their opening foreign launches, and "Avatar" ranks at No. 3 on that list.

Comparable in scope to "Avatar's" saturation launch was Sony's Nov. 11 break at 12,887 screens in 105 markets of director Roland Emmerich's disaster epic "2012," which opened to $165.2 million. So far, "2012's" foreign tally is more than 3 1/2 times its domestic gross.

Hanneman pointed out that "2012" opened in four markets (Italy, Poland, China and Uruguay) that "Avatar did not. The Cameron epic will open in these markets plus Japan in the coming weeks.

"2012" pushed its overseas cume on the weekend to $574.1 million thanks to a $9.3 million weekend from 6,350 screens in 77 markets. It ranks No. 3 on the weekend.

No. 2 was Summit International's "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," which raised its overseas gross total to $381.1 million on the strength of a $10.7 million weekend from 6,200 situations in 67 territories. Worldwide cume stands at $655.7 million.

Fourth was "Disney's A Christmas Carol" starring Jim Carrey, which drew $6.3 million, down about 57% from the prior weekend. Top markets for director Robert Zemeckis' 3D performance capture version of the Charles Dickens classic continue to be Italy ($1.7 million on the weekend; cume $16.5 milllion) and the U.K. ($1.6 million; cume $29.3 million).

Disney Animation's fairy tale "The Princess and the Frog," which finished No. 2 domestically, generated $5.7 million from 2,250 locations in 11 territories, to finish fifth overseas on the weekend. Its foreign cume stands at to $15.8 million while the worldwide tally is $60.6 million.

Pixar/Disney's "Up" grossed another $4.4 million on the weekend, hoisting its overseas cume to $409.8 million. The animation title is expected by midweek to surpass 2007's "Ratatouille" (total overseas gross, $414 million) to become the second-biggest Disney/Pixar title ever.

Top local-language title in France was EuropaCorp. Distribution's "Arthur et la vengeance de Maltazard," director/co-writer Luc Besson's English-language, family-oriented animation title. Third weekend produced an estimated $4 million from 900 screens for a market cume of $22 million.

In Germany, Warner Bros.' local-language German co-production "Zweiohrkuken," a romantic comedy directed, co-written and starring by Til Schweiger, drew $3.8 million from 907 locations. It's German market cume stands at $24.3 million.

Newcomers in France included No. 4-ranked "Le dernier vol" (The Last Flight) from director Karim Dridi and starring Marion Cotillard. The Gaumont release about a woman searching for her husband after his plane disappears in the Sahara drew an estimated $1.1 million from 500 dates.

Opening at No. 10 was Haut et Court's animation release, "Kerrity, la maison de contes," directed by Dominique Monfery and voiced by Jeanne Moreau, among others. Weekend gross was an estimated $500,000 from 200 situations.

Other international cumes: Wartner's "Invictus," $567,000 (South Africa only); Disney's "Old Dogs," $15.7 million; Universal's "Public Enemies," $113.4 million; Sony's "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs," $75 million; Paramount's "Celda 221," $12 million (from Spain only); and Universal's "Couples Retreat," $47.6 million.

Also, Paramount's "Law Abiding Citizen," $9 million; the Weinstein Co./Universal's "Inglourious Basterds," $198.3 million; Studio Canal's "RTT," $4.2 million (France only); Universal's "The Invention of Lying," $13.4 million (from four territories); "Los Abrazos Rotas" (from Universal, Paramount and other distributors), $32 million; Pathe's "Loup," $3.7 million (France only); Focus Features/Universal's "A Serious Man," $3.2 million (Universal territories only); Warner Bros.' "Where the Wild Things Are," $10.4 million; and Warners' "Ninja Assassin," $19.3 million. "

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SOURCE

"Up" may find its way to $60m+ in Japan at its current rate. That would make it the biggest Hollywood non-sequel over there since "The Da Vinci Code."

Terrific overseas opening for Avatar. The 3D premium is definitely helping it a lot and putting it ahead of 2012 in many territories. The opening in Russia is just UNBELIEVABLE! Wow! With some large markets still to open in (and it should do very well in Japan!) and with great WoM to boot this will have a great run ahead of itself and I see it scratching at the $1 billion mark worldwide. HOLY SHIT this will be the first time ever since 2001 that a non-sequel will top the worldwide box-office, even though it'll probably still lose domestic to Transformers 2. I see no less than $320 million domestically and no less than $620 million overseas...so Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will likely fall.


2012 is still holding up rather well. I can't believe how much it has done overseas already. I meant it's already the 13th-biggest movie EVER overseas. For film that's not a sequel and not in 3D that's just amazing and with Christmas ahead it should be able to crawl past $600 million OS and probably finish with $770 million worldwide. That's just...wow!


New Moon, on the other hand, is losing steam VERY fast and will barely top $700 million worldwide. However, that's still a great number of course.


Up is still doing well in Japan and should be able to crawl to around $735-740 million worldwide.


Inglourious Basterds will soon finally pass $200 million OS. Another big overperformer.

New Moon had such a fast run, but the franchise went from not evening getting to $400 m worldwide, to $700 m worldwide. And the budget only went from $37 m to $50 m.

Great international start for Avatar. Sherlock Holmes should play very well overseas as well, but Avatar has a lot of room overseas to really clean up. 3D certainly helped Ice Age 3 make giant leaps, and it should do wonders for Avatar as well worldwide.

considering Avatar opened just as high as 2012 and the fact the holidays are ahead...

It makes your head spin...

I wonder what Paranormal Activity stands at overseas. Anyone has the numbers? I remember it recently passed $40 million. Its performance in UK is terrific.

An Emerrich disaster/world destruction pic, a James Cameron epic, the latest QT opus....all original films.... seems like the 90s at the box office again

China weekly box office:

1. A Simple Noodle Story (三枪拍案惊奇) - 76m ($11.13m), -25%, 177.32m ($25.97m)
2. Bodyguards and Assassins (十月围城) - 74.8m ($10.95m), New, 74.8m ($10.95m)
3. The Treasure Hunter (刺陵) - 16.5m ($2.42m), -51.5%, 50.5m ($7.40m)
4. The Storm Riders 2 (风云2) - 15m ($2.20m), -50.0%, 45m ($6.59m)
5. 2012 - 8.8m ($1.29m), -61.7%, 455.8m ($66.79m)
6. Mulan (花木兰) - 0.9m ($0.13m), -90.8%, 83.2m ($12.19m)
7. G-Force (豚鼠特工队) - 0.75m ($0.11m), -70.0%, 26.5m ($3.88m)

Is 2012 the highest USD grosser in China now?

Yes, and also the highest ever in local currency.

at least it won't be in the top 30 or even top 50 by 2020...

In India, 3 idiots is expecting to make so much money in its opening week that it would already be the 5th biggest film of all time.

Imagine if a film opens up and gets 440 million dollars in its opening week only behind Shrek 2, SW, TDK and Titanic.

So why is it so massive? Big cast/director?