Life of Pi is shaping up to be a huge worldwide hit.

20th Century Fox estimates that the drama took in $17.5 million from 5,458 screens in 4 markets. Life of Pi is #1 in China thanks to a $10.5 million haul from 4,500 3D screens. In India, Life of Pi is also #1 with $3.4 million from 697 locations. That marks the third-highest non-franchise opening in India behind Avatar and 2012. The estimated worldwide total is $48 million.

Other stats from Fox:

In Taiwan ($2.2 million from 165 locations), the film absolutely dominates, with 68% market share, and in Hong Kong ($1.4 million from 96 location), the film enjoys the biggest Ang Lee opening ever, beating LUST, CAUTION. LIFE OF PI opens in a handful of markets next weekend, including Spain, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, with the bulk of International releasing from the Dec. 19/20/21 weekend into early January.

http://www.boxoffice.com/latest-news/20 ... seas-debut

It should get to $300m OS I guess, the marketing is really good and effective. With the price tag of $120m total it should be able to recoup the budget though I believe the marketing budget will be close to another $100m.

Ang Lee is Taiwanese, so that's expected for Taiwan.

Taiwan at least this year has been growing big IMO. I am not surprised by the Taiwanese or Indian numbers actually its Chinese numbers that I am most impressed specially since this movie was never marketed as an action spectacle.

I'm not hugely impressed by the Chinese numbers either. China loved Titanic and its re-release, Titanic 3D, so I don't know where you get the impression that only action films are successful in China. It's by the "Chinese" director of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the poster is plastered over all of the buses and billboards, and it's in 3D.... so $10.5m for 4 days is not a surprise. It shows promise, though. The queues at cinemas in my area are unprecedented. I for one have never seen queues that long.

Just because China loved Titanic doesn't mean that they will love every foreign movie that is 3D and/or drama. The same goes by Ang Lee directing the movie and I don't understand why you seeing the "unprecedented" queues for this movie is not impressive, unless you say that you saw this doing THIS good. Fox was very smart in marketing this movie.

You made the same generalisation when you said that it isn't an action movie so you cannot understand the great opening.

I was just letting you know that Chinese people are capable of liking all different sorts of movies. I didn't want you to forget that Titanic was the highest grossing movie here for years. For me, this opening is good, but I am not surprised by it. The unprecedented queues, in fact, I would have thought to have yielded more of a gross than just $10.5m, which is why I said that it appears to have promise for the weeks ahead.

There are more than one movies to support my claim that non-action movies don't tend to do big and then Titanic was an exception everywhere. For me I am surprised by an opening if I hadn't predicted it opening that big and that does not include seeing queues outside theaters over opening weekend cause before that you would have made some predictions and OW is where studios have succeeded or failed in getting the audience.

I'm not surprised by the opening because of the films' content, the 3D, and the director. The queues are just a confirmation for me.

FOX was very smart in releasing this in Asian territories first then hope to build buzz across Europe, L. America.

I thought Life of Pi came out in South Korea this week?

The Sunday estimate out of China was low because 400 locations were missing from the total. 20th Century Fox is now reporting that Life of Pi has already earned $16.1 million in China. The overseas total--which also includes India, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Puerto Rico--is now $23.9 million.

http://www.boxoffice.com/latest-news/20 ... seas-debut

It actually made 106m yuan, which is closer to $17m ($16.9m).

The marketing in Singapore is really good and they have been very smart in pushing 3D as well. I think it will open big this weekend here and then there is no competition this weekend.

$21.5m/$61.1m (11 markets)

Ang Lee's 3D event pic has now earned $132.7 million worldwide -- including $53 million in China.
Twentieth Century Fox's 3D adventure Life of Pi -- resonating strongly with Asian audiences -- has jumped the $80 million mark at the international box office, fueled by strong business in China, Taiwan, India and Hong Kong.

Life of Pi's Indian cume is $7.3 million, a strong number for an American title. Life of Pi has grossed north of $6 million in Taiwan and north of $4 million in Hong Kong.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/b ... -pi-398956

Life of Pi has beaten The Expendables 2 in China.

It hasn't hit 4m in HK yet. Not even close.

Maybe they are using some different (mostly wrong) conversion for HK?

Even though they are not reporting the numbers the movies is doing great in SG.

How is its 2nd weekend holding up in SG?

Well it hasn't started yet but all the big screens still belong to it and then Hotel Transylvania is getting quiter than expected release, so it is good for Pi. Hobbit should definitely kill it next weekend cause majority of 3D screens will be given to it.

$11.5m/$129.4m

It's coming out on January 1st in Russia, national holiday week will help it take over $20 m.

$23.2m/$160.5m

This is definitely one of the biggest surprises of 2012's winter (ofcourse behind Skyfall) in OS markets.

No it isn't. China is $90 m. Without it it's good, but not spectacular.