From Variety

HP5 grossed 9.6 million in Japan in three days of previews.

Is it good?

I have no idea. What did Potter do in Previews in Japan before?

No idea. *phones...umm...Owls Achangel*

Don't have the charts with me at the momment, but those previews look pretty huge.

It'll open officially on Friday in Japan, meaning it'll have an additional of 3-Days play...instead of the normal 2.

So the record held by ROTS i believe, could go...

Cool that is good to hear. It needs to do better than GOF in Japan. Of course it sounds like the box office in Japan is in a bit of an upswing based on an article I read the other day.

Well the only real hit so far this year is Pirates 3 and Spiderman 3........it's getting some quality releases now......should see a surge in the final part of the year in Japan....

Harry Potter's own book launch poses only real competition to ever-rising Phoenix

Jeremy Kay in Los Angeles
19 Jul 2007 23:38


Every fan of the franchise knows it's not in Harry Potter's nature to be a bully, but the film version of his exploits is a different beast entirely and has been swatting rivals like flies since it was released around the world last week.

The fifth episode in the fantasy series, Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix, stands at $254m and will soar past $300m -- it might even cross $350m -- following last weekend's spellbinding launch. Weekend business will be bolstered by 14 new markets including heavyweights Russia on Jul 19 and Japan on Jul 20.

Both are expected to provide generous returns, especially Japan, where Warner Bros Pictures International (WBPI) will factor in previously unreported revenues from last weekend's preview screenings.

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire opened number one in Japan in November 2005 on $11.4m. It launched on $2.5m a month later in Russia, where grosses were cannibalised by the release that same weekend of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe.

This time around there is no major fantasy rival to distract Russian audiences, and Harry should dominate. In terms of overall international performance, the biggest film in the franchise so far is Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone, which opened in late 2001 and finished on a formidable $657m.

It remains to be seen whether the release in bookshops this weekend of the seventh and final book in the series, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, will have an impact on box office.

WBPI stablemate 300 stands at $245m, while Ocean's Thirteen has amassed $149.54m, and Zodiac has taken $46.7m. Both films played at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.

BELGIUM - Opening Weekend

3rd largest opening of all-time in USD, though 2nd for the year behind Pirates 3 and also 2nd in the franchise behind HP4...though nothing in it really.

Pirates Of The Caribbean 3: At World’s End - $2,838,144 (€2,086,180 - 160)
Harry Potter 4: GOF - $2,760,107 (or $2,523,498/ €2,150,954 5-Day - 177)
Harry Potter 5: OOTP - $2,726,471 (or $2,666,738/ €1,936,052 5-Day - 171)
Shrek 3 - $2,470,444 (or $1,770,862/ €1,317,521 5-Day - 125)
Harry Potter 2: COS - $2.2m
Lord Of The Rings: ROTK - $2,167,055 ($2,062,059/ €1,669,237 5-Day or $1,602,888 3-Day - 112)
Pirates Of The Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest - $2,064,905 (or $2,062,940/ €1,615,963 without p/v - 127)
The Da Vinci Code - $2,045,643 (€1,596,420 - 124)
Spiderman 3 - $1,943,075 (€1,428,450 - 93)
Harry Potter 3: POA - $1,858,540 (€1,518,297 - 145)

Harry Potter 1: PS - $1.14m (124)


DENMARK - Opening Weekend

7th largest opening outright.....though lags somewhat behind the opening of HP4.

1) Lord Of The Rings: ROTK - $4,057,585 (5-Day or $2,236,822/ 13,477,972 DKR/ 162,624 adms. 3-Day - 123)
2) Pirates Of The Caribbean 3: At World’s End - $3,345,310 (5-Day or $2,249,177/ 13,105,954 DKR 3-Day - 122)
3) Harry Potter 4: GOF - $2,852,196 (18,171,914 DKR/ 217,975 adms. 3-Day - 97)
4) Lord Of The Rings: TTT - $2.75m
5) James Bond: Casino Royale - $2,697,755 (or $2,117,318/ 12,054,525 DKR/ 150,124 adms. 3-Day - 101)
6) Pirates Of The Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest - $2,578,503 (5-Day or $1,343,725/ 7,896,804 DKR/ 90,288 adms. 3-Day - 85)
7) Harry Potter 5: OOTP - $2,354,978 (12,863,832 DKR - 101)
8) The Da Vinci Code - $2,197,034 (12,782,785 DKR/ 144,749 adms. 3-Day - 110)
9) Star Wars 3: ROTS - $2,066,909 (4-Day or $1,398,893/ 8,305,510 DKR/ 113,204 adms. 3-Day - 92)
10) Harry Potter 2: COS - $1.9m

Harry Potter 3: POA - $1,801,456 (10.9m DKR - $185,691/ 1,149,241 DKR/ 163,781 adms. 3-Day – 98/137)
Spiderman 3 - $1,535,782 (or $1,086,758/ 5,960,325 DKR 3-Day - 115)
Die Hard 4: Live Free Or Die Hard - $1,350,040 (or $831,516/ 4,581,817 DKR 3-Day - 104)
Harry Potter 1: PS - $1,283,153 (89)


SWEDEN - Opening Weekend

Not the largest for the franchise but it's 3-Day gross is among the largest of all-time.

Lord of The Rings: ROTK - $4,813,063 (5-Day or $3,293,912 4-Day or $2,792,321/ 20,549,528 SKR 3-Day - 169)
Pirates Of The Caribbean 3: At World’s End - $4,381,798 (5-Day or $2,829,105 3-Day - 161)
Lord Of The Rings: TTT - $3.5m (151)
Pirates Of The Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest - $3,492,723 (5-Day or $1,933,020/ 13,995,258 SKR 3-Day - 127)
Lord Of The Rings: FOTR - $3m+
Harry Potter 3: POA - $2,672,579 (20m SKR 5-Day or $1,506,154/ 11,473,881 SKR 3-Day - 163)
The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe - $2,656,552 (5-Day or $1,508,961/ 12,032,002 SKR - 176)
Harry Potter 5: OOTP - $2,614,343 (17,350,610 SKR - 165)
Star Wars 3: ROTS - $2,597,181 (4-Day or $1,838,970/ 13,452,433 SKR 3-Day - 129) or $2,980,057 by Mon
Harry Potter 4: GOF - $2,584,417 (or $2,379,141/ 19,531,795 SKR 3-Day - 168)
James Bond: Casino Royale - $2,431,505 (or $1,989,094/ 13,738,274 SKR 3-Day - 133)
Spiderman 3 - $2,383,053 (16,035,758 SKR - 145)

Harry Potter 2: COS - $1.9m (156)
Harry Potter 1: PS - $1.525m (138)
Transformers - $1,412,361 (5-Day or $762,380/ 5,139,356 SKR 3-Day - 88)


SWITZERLAND - Opening Weekend

On par with HP3 as one of Potter's largest, though still only the 3rd largest for the year.

Ice Age 2: The Meltdown - $3,173,293 (or $2,762,494/ 3,596,215 SFR 4-Day - 139)
James Bond: Casino Royale - $3,013,626 (or $2,403,060/ 2,907,702 SFR 4-Day - 161)
Pirates Of The Caribbean 3: At World’s End - $2,850,079 (or $2,685,181/ 3,315,125 SFR 4-Day - 172)
Lord Of The Rings: ROTK - $2,737,841 (or $2,122,457/ 2,673,447 SFR 4-Day - 134)
The Da Vinci Code - $2,117,642 (or $2,031,011/ 2,455,086 SFR 4-Day - 129)
Spiderman 3 - $2,087,370 ($609,094 French + $1,390,721 German + $87,555 Italian - 149)
Harry Potter 3: POA - $2,038,933 (or $1,914,464/ 2,384,848 SFR 4-Day - 133)
Harry Potter 5: OOTP - $2,027,964 (5-Day or $1,483,421/ 1,785,149 SFR 4-Day - 149)
Lord Of The Rings: TTT - $2m (5-Day or $1.7m 4-Day)
Star Wars 3: ROTS - $1,929,930 (5-Day or $1,543,614/ 1,906,363 SFR 4-Day - 124)
James Bond: The World Is Not Enough - $1.9m (88)
Pirates Of The Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest - $1,768,561 (or $1,565,030/ 1,927,647 SFR 4-Day - 101)
Finding Nemo - $1,728,619 (or $1,632,109/ 1,632,109 SFR 4-Day - 100)
Spiderman 2 - $1,651,591 ($1,547,788/ 1,898,053 SFR 4-Day - 133)
Harry Potter 4: GOF - $1,647,297 (2,176,738 SFR 4-Day - 103)
Harry Potter 1: PS - $1.544m ($1m German on 68 + $0.544m French on 27)

Harry Potter 2: COS - $1.2m (97)

Update again from RT at moviemarshal...

Actually it'll be tonight friday that Shrek passes AWE
Thru Thurs Shrek 32.939 and AWE 32.997.
HP should be around 22mil with friday after just 10 days, internesting to see how the weekend pans out .
TRF was off 49% on previous thurs sould still do well thru weekend.

Europe remains in 'Potter's' thrall

Local comedies blossom in summer
http://www.variety.com/article/VR111796 ... id=13&cs=1

By ED MEZABERLIN — "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" will keep much of Europe under its spell over the weekend.

Yet local distribs are eagerly counterprogramming with alternative titles, such as local laffers and arthouse, fare before the arrival of more Hollywood tentpoles in coming weeks.

It's summer and, following hallowed tradition, that means it's comedy time in Spain.

This week's launch is being regarded as a test case of just how much Spain has succeeded in shrugging off its past, when comedies — usually piquant sexual titles milking light social satire, drawing on Spain's popular "sainete" farces — still has an audience in Spain.

The latest local laffer launching south of the Pyrenees is Josetxo San Mateo's family romp "Atasco en la nacional" (literally, "Highway Tailback"), opening on a middling print run of 175 prints via AZ.

It's already got the bird from critics. Newspaper El Pais welcomed this new comedy as "a socio-cinematographic nightmare taking place in a time tunnel that proves our country hasn't changed as much as we thought, that perhaps we're a land of halfwits which laughs at halfwits."

That's not likely to worry distrib AZ Cinema too much. El Pais predicted dire results for youth gross-out comedy "Cafe solo o con ellas," describing it as a "rigor mortis of a youth comedy, a B.O. corpse." With $2 million after three weekends, "Cafe" is poised to become the highest grossing Spanish release of the year.

"The Order of the Phoenix" still reigns in Spain, cuming $14.2 million after nine days.

Another Spanish laffer, wacky grossouter "O.F.N.I.," helmed by Jose Semprun, a UFO geek spoof, goes out more modestly on 32 via Livestrong Films, while Cannes Directors Fortnight screener, psychodrama "La influencia," a Mexican-Spanish co-pro produced by Carlos Reygadas and Jose Maria Lara, has commanded critical respect in Spain.

Sagrera releases "Septiembres," about love in jail, directed by Carles Bosch, (who co-helmed docu "Balsreros," Academy nommed in 2004) has enjoyed good buzz after sneak previews.

This weekend marks the calm before the storm at the U.K. box office before the twin onslaughts of "The Simpsons Movie" and "Transformers"

next week. The biggest release is Entertainment's all singing and dancing "Hairspray," which is being rolled out on 350 playdates.

The sight of John Travolta in drag has inspired generally positive reviews, if not quite as ecstatic a reception as pic is receiving Stateside. "This is a musical that never seems to stand still, and its twinkle-toed energy, if not quite infectious, is consistently pleasing to the eye," wrote the Independent's Anthony Quinn.

Aside from Fox's "Firehouse Dog," which bows on 202 prints, the rest of the releases are merely arthouse curios. Artificial Eye brings out Gallic helmer Alain Resnais' "Private Fears in Public Places" on five screens, Dogwoof Pictures bow "Buy it Now," Antonio Campus' debut feature about a 16-year-old girl auctioning her virginity on eBay, on a solitary print, while Revolver has "Ghosts of Cite Soleil," a powerful docu about gang life in a Haitian slum, on four prints.

Also released are two Bollywood pics: Eros' "Partner" and Studio 18's "Halla Bol."

Relative lack of big hitters plus a mixed weather forecast and the long awaited release of the final "Harry Potter" book should see strong holdovers for sophomore weekend of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" following its record breaking U.K. box office last week.

A slew of pics are hitting screens in Germany, most notably Quentin Tarantino's "Death Proof." Local distrib Senator is releasing the "Grindhouse" double feature as two separate films here in hopes of a better performance than was had Stateside.

While "Order of the Phoenix," "Live Free or Die Hard" and "Shrek the Third" are sure to retain the top three spots, local exhibs are predicting "Death Proof" could well open in the top five.

Exhibs also expect good showings from Frank Oz's black comedy "Death at a Funeral" (Concorde) and Nimrod Antal's thriller "Vacancy" (Sony), both of which have impressed local critics. Trade magazine Treffpunkt Kino called the Oz film an "irresistibly funny death with the most ludicrous gags."

Additional starts include Bernd Boehlich's local comedy-drama "Du bist nicht allein," an ensemble pic about Berlin tenants living in a low income apartment building, going out via Neue Visionen; Murali K. Thalluri's Australian teen ensemble drama "2:37," released by Central; and Pierre Jolivet's French romantic comedy "Je crois que je l'aime" ("Could This Be Love?") from Arsenal.

While Universal's Nicolas Cage starrer "Next" from Lee Tamahori is unlikely to boast boffo numbers, it has received some surprisingly positive reviews after being largely panned in the U.S.

"With such a bold and radical twist ending, the film robs the viewer of any final certainty and transforms a conventional genre film into an avant-garde experimental work of art," wrote Die Welt.

In Italy, "Potter" is set to dominate in its second frame, but counterprogramming outings are copious, unlike last weekend when "Phoenix" had a wide open playing field.

Sony is trying to scare up some biz with horror pic "Vacancy," toplining Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson on 122, while 01 Distribuzione is serving up martial arts fare with "Fearless," starring Jet Li, on 105, and Universal is hoping Ben Affleck and Andy Garcia will fly with "Smokin' Aces," on 100.

On the arthouse front, Istituto Luce is outing Italo comedy "SoloMetro" by first-timer Marco Cucurnia, starring local A-list thesp Michele Placido ("The Unknown"), a rare case of an Italian release this summer.

Still, despite a few more bottom feeders, exhibs expect "Phoenix" to account for about one third of the total take, the same slice of the pie it took in its first frame.

"Phoenix," "Die Hard" and "Shrek" will also continue their domination of the French box office over the weekend, although it's a mid-summer, twixt-blockbuster lull for new releases in Gaul.

"Hot Fuzz" seems set to repeat the success of "Shaun of the Dead" for helmer-scribe Edgar Wright and writing partner and star Simon Pegg. It bowed first day at over $128,000 for StudioCanal on 149. Some critics not without clout gave it maximum stars. "Between idiotic but precise gags and semi-subliminal jokes, the film bathes in a delicious absurdity," chortled Les Inrockuptibles.

Even a videogame-based chopsocky pic could show O.K. numbers after last week's Gallic launch limbo. "DOA: Dead or Alive," toplining Holly Valance and Jaime Pressly, has pulled in nearly $60,000 on 143 for TFM.

While not overly kind, not all the critics had their blades out. "The sci-fi intrigue is lightweight to the point of evaporating on the screen," found Paris Match, "but the one-on-one fights are erotic."

Correction, Spiderman 3 is the current record holder at $26.6m 6-Days gross....followed by ROTS with $18.975m which includes about $7.5m in previews.

Other movies with big previews are Matrix Reloaded which also had $7.5m p/v and an opening of $18.7m.

None of the Potter flicks have had previews as big as HP5...most of them did about $4m....current title holder is HP3 which opened to $17.2m (#4 all-time) with $3.8m previews.

So already, HP5 looks like it'll do at least Reloaded/ROTS levels....and may possibly open to anywhere between $20-25m.

SERBIA & MONTENEGRO - Opening Weekend

Fantastic opening which is probably inside the Top 5 largest openings ever in USD. Healthy increase over HP4.

Lord Of The Rings: ROTK - $1,225,423 (5-Day or $931,506 4-Day - 93)
Shrek 2 - $1,041,100 (or $989,207 without p/v - 84)
The Matrix: Reloaded - ~$1m (95)
Harry Potter 5: OOTP - $944,082
Shrek 3 - $922,737
Spiderman 2 - $876,903 (or $857,320 3-Day - 102)
Harry Potter 4: GOF - $807,000 (incl. p/v - 85)
Spiderman 3 - $786,630 (129)
Ice Age 2: The Meltdown - $686,000 (89)
Harry Potter 3: POA - $677,000 (Rand 4.4m or $630,000/Rand 4.1m without p/v - 89)
Oh Schuks, I’m Gatvol! - $676,500 (R4,237,456 - 106)
Pirates Of The Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest - $670,000 (85)
The Da Vinci Code - $652,780
Harry Potter 2: COS - $640,000
Mr. And Mrs. Smith - $637,000 (71) or $776,449 by Mon
Star Wars 3: ROTS - $623,351 by Mon
The Passion Of The Christ - $600,000 (R3,758,025 - 35)
Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World - $596,000 (87)
Pirates Of The Caribbean 3: At World’s End - $577,215 (101)

Harry Potter 1: PS - $288,236 (88)


HUNGARY - Opening Weekend

2nd largest opening in history (and also the 2nd pic to pass $1m USD on opening).

It's also the largest opening this year. Each Potter flick has increased on the previous.

Star Wars 3: ROTS - $1,141,321 (4-Day or $881,342/ 177,160,234 HuF/ 187,212 adms. - 43)
Harry Potter 5: OOTP - $1,003,856 (4-Day)
Shrek 3 - $983,338 (30)
Lord Of The Rings: ROTK - $892,701 (4-Day or $726,202/ 151,244,640 HuF/ 167,957 adms. 3-Day - 37) or $895,573 (34) Actuals
Lord Of The Rings: TTT - x
The Matrix: Reloaded - x
Pirates Of The Caribbean 3: At World’s End - $790,487
Shrek 2 - $781,643 (4-Day or $612,627/ 124,724,198 HuF/ 137,843 adms. 3-Day without p/v - 38) or $762,351 Actuals
The Da Vinci Code - $694,629
Harry Potter 3: POA - $628,168 (132,500,000 HuF 4-Day or $519,158/ 109,487,802 HuF/ 119,248 adms. 3-Day - 41)
Star Wars 2: AOTC - $615,000 (37)
The Matrix: Revolutions - $593,708 (5-Day or $413,858/ 92,431,110 HuF/ 103,735 adms. 3-Day - 36)
War Of The Worlds - $555,343 (5-Day or $382,313/ 78,831,334 HuF/ 79,087 adms. 3-Day - 38)
Harry Potter 2: COS - $550,000

Transformers - $481,241 (40)
Harry Potter 1: PS - $359,000 (34)


SERBIA & MONTENEGRO - Opening Weekend

Soso opening, though was well down on HP4's levels...

1) Mi Nismo Andjeli 2 (We Are Not Angels 2) - $454,313 (or $314,072/ 88,526 adms. 3-Day - 25) or $395,120 (124,417 adms. or 88,526 adms. without p/v - 25) Actuals
2) Zamfir's Zona - 72,000 adms

Lord Of The Rings: ROTK - $298,356 (or $96,226/ 27,298 adms. 3-Day - 15) or $285,530 (17) Actuals
Robbery Of The Third Reich - $256,958 (or $154,257/ 55,718 adms. 3-Day - 24)
Ivko’s Fete - $217,010 (or $169,605/ 64,103 adms. 3-Day - 30)
The Da Vinci Code - $139,787 (or $104,766/ 28,756 adms. 3-Day - 10)
Troy - $135,168 (or $117,628/ 31,399 adms. 3-Day - 15)
Life Is A Miracle - $128,016 (or $90,168/ 33,103 adms - 50)
The Trap - $110,820 (or $16,806 3-Day - 8)
Alexander - $110,264 (or $64,226/ 16,715 adms. 3-Day - 6)
Harry Potter 4: GOF - $110,004 (or $53,293/ 18,351 adms. 3-Day - 8)
Black Gruja - $109,583 (or $72,364 3-Day - 13)
Mi Nismo Andjeli 3 (We Are Not Angels 3) - $103,546 (or $71,024/ 21,224 adms. 3-Day - 27)
Goose Feather - $93,048 (or $50,164/ 16,755 adms. 3-Day - 15)
The Matrix: Revolutions - $91,060 (or $42,147/ 17,403 adms. 3-Day - 15)
Ice Age 2: The Meltdown - $90,438 (or $36,208/ 12,924 adms. 3-Day - 9)
The Last Samurai - $79,014 (or $53,725/ 17,328 adms. 3-Day - 12)
When I Grow Up I’ll Be A Kangaroo - $75,682 (or $62,804/ 19,319 adms. 3-Day - 15)
Harry Potter 3: POA - $74,121 (or $28,052/ 9,082 adms. 3-Day - 15)
The Passion Of The Christ - $66,191 (or $53,820/ 17,723 adms. 3-Day - 10)
Harry Potter 5: OOTP - $65,676 (5-Day or $39,538 3-Day - 7)
300 - $65,144 (or $41,257 3-Day - 6)
The Day After Tomorrow - $60,777 (or $48,889/ 14,565 adms. 3-Day - 12)
Red Coloured Gray Truck - $60,231 (or $40,233/ 14,029 adms. 3-Day - 15)
Spiderman 2 - $60,062 (or $23,268/ 7,523 adms. 3-Day - 15) or $59,285 (or $31,202 without p/v - 17) Actuals
Star Wars 3: ROTS - $59,759 (or $40,555/ 12,388 adms. 3-Day - 10)
War Of The Worlds - $59,622 (or $38,412/ 12,287 adms., 3-Day - 8)
Seven And A Half - $58,635 (or $32,709/ 11,215 adms. 3-Day - 11)
James Bond: Casino Royale - $53,587 (or $31,056/ 8,181 adms. 3-Day - 6)

Pirates Of The Caribbean 3: At World’s End - $45,232 (or $31,417 3-Day - 8)
Mr. Bean’s Holiday - $39,916 (or $31,641 3-Day - 4)
Spiderman 3 - $37,516 (or $24,661 3-Day - 8)

UNITED KINGDOM - Opening Week

Added about $14m during the week on top of it's $33M+ opening weekend. It was surpassed by Pirates 3 which had unbelievable mid-week business...however, HP5 extended its lead over Shrek 3.

1) Harry Potter 3: POA - $49,988,431 (11-Days - 535 TC)
2) Pirates Of The Caribbean 3: At World’s End - $47,427,186 (552 TC)*Bank Holiday
3) Harry Potter 5: OOTP - $47,322,713 (567 TC)
4) Shrek 3 - $41,387,007 (536 TC)
5) Shrek 2 - $39,258,369 (512 TC)
6) Pirates Of The Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest - $38,273,630 (514 TC)
7) Spiderman 3 - $37,595,805 (522 TC)
8) Lord Of The Rings: ROTK - $36,804,070 (494 TC)
9) James Bond: Casino Royale - $36,735,552 (505 TC)
10) Harry Potter 2: COS - $35,917,785 (524 TC)

11) Harry Potter 4: GOF - $34,957,535 (535 TC)
12) Star Wars 3: ROTS - $34,483,093 (490 TC)
13) The Matrix: Reloaded - $29,778,604 (481 TC)
14) Harry Potter 1: PS - $29,658,333 (507 TC)
15) Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason - $29,053,163 (504 TC)
16) Lord Of The Rings: TTT - $28,812,768 (501 TC)
17) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown - $27,716,956 (502 TC)
18) The Da Vinci Code - $26,506,159 (523 TC)
19) Charlie And The Chocolate Factory - $26,330,006 (531 TC)
20) Star Wars 1: PM - $25,179,525 (460 TC)

Any overseas numbers out yet?

Domestic: $207,541,000 37.1%
+ Foreign: $351,300,000 62.9%

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

= Worldwide: $558,841,000

97m $ weekend with Japan and Russia openings? If Japan and Russia are together for 20m $ than it's just 77m $ from other countries. That would mean a 65% drop from last weekend taking out Japan and Russia.

Actually, it would mean a 60% drop (77/193=0.4) But that 193M OS opening included I don't remember how many millions made on Wednesday and Thursday. So it should be a 50/55% drop from last weekend.

This is much lower than anyone could expect. Japan alone with 9.6 million of previews should have at least 18-20 million 3days opening. 5-6 million from Russia, Ukraine and smaller territories in Eastern Europe . We also know from Variety that it grossed $21.5 million on Monday, $20.5 million Tuesday and $19 million Wednesday and after that in next four days we got only 70-75 million excluding new territories. This is hardly believable.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" mopped up on the international circuit for the second consecutive weekend, towering over the competition with an estimated boxoffice of $100.8 million from more than 13,000 screens in 58 markets.

Distributor Warner Bros. International estimated that about 14 million moviegoers went through the overseas turnstiles during the weekend, hoisting the 12-day foreign gross for the fifth episode in the fantasy franchise to a mighty $351.3 million, $143.8 million more than the title's North America gross total.

Strong holdover action and three powerful No. 1 market bows propelled "Phoenix" to several records for the "Harry Potter" series. In Japan, the opening-weekend estimate is $18.6 million from 951 screens, eclipsing all other market openings for the series.

In Russia, the weekend tally is $7 million from 528 situations, the distributor's biggest opening day ever, WBI said. In Israel, the per-screen average was nearly $20,000 as "Phoenix" opened with $655,000 from 33 screens. Again, it was the biggest market opening of any title in the franchise and the fourth-biggest market opening of all time.

Holdover action remained strong, particularly the U.K., where "Phoenix" generated an estimated $14.2 million in its second weekend at 1,390 sites for a market cume of $61.1 million. Second-weekend drops in the U.K., Germany, France and Brazil were all less than 50%, which is considered positive given the level of boxoffice business "Phoenix" is generating.

The only substantial newcomer overseas is the weekend's No. 5 title, New Line Cinema's "Hairspray," which made its overseas debut in just one market, the U.K. The John Waters-inspired musical comedy grossed an estimated $4 million from 350 screens, finishing No. 2 in the territory behind "Phoenix." Early "Hairspray" worldwide cume stands at $31.8 million.

(Universal International will open "I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry," the No. 1 domestic title, this weekend in Greece.)

In the weekend's No. 2 spot is DreamWorks/Paramount Pictures International's "Transformers" which played at 4,315 screens in 42 markets for an estimated $34 million, down just $2 million from the previous weekend (when it played in 32 territories). Its overseas gross total stands at $192 million. Worldwide, its tally is $455 million.

The Michael Bay-directed action title opened in 10 new markets, finishing No. 1 in Mexico (an estimated $5.5 million from 413 screens), Colombia, Chile, Panama, Peru, Venezuela and South Africa. The Brazil tally was an estimated $2.7 million from 327 locations.

In the third spot overall is another strong hold, 20th Century Fox International's "Die Hard 4" (known domestically as "Live Free or Die Hard"), which nabbed an estimated $23 million from 5,500 screens in 51 markets. Its international cume stands at $155.7 million.

"Die Hard" finished No. 1 in its Korea opening with an estimated $10.9 million over six days from 549 locations. The July 17 bow in the market produced Fox's biggest single-day market opening ever. Final weekend and full-week tallies also are expected to be Fox records.

In Taiwan, "Die Hard 4's" opening weekend is an estimated $1.3 million from 192 situations for a $6,771 per-screen average. So far, the Bruce Willis action title's biggest overseas markets are Japan, with a cume of $24.2 million, followed by the U.K. ($22.5 million), Germany ($19.1 million) and France ($13.2 million).

DreamWorks/PPI's "Shrek the Third" finished fourth during the weekend, grossing an estimated $10.6 million from 4,544 screens in 54 markets. Its overseas cume is a mighty $381.4 million.

Disney/Pixar's "Ratatouille" pushed its overseas total to $37.2 million ($202.8 million worldwide) with an estimated $3.4 million for the weekend at 1,972 screens in 14 markets. The Buena Vista International release begins its Asia launch Wednesday-SaturdayJuly 25-28 with openings in the Philippines, Thailand, Korea and Japan.

WBI's "Ocean's Thirteen" pushed its overseas gross to $154.8 million thanks to an estimated $2.8 million weekend from more than 1,100 screens in 53 territories. The biggest market for the Steven Soderbergh caper film is the U.K., with a cume to date of $25.8 million.

Universal's "Knocked Up" bowed in New Zealand (No. 3 with an estimated $285,000 from 46 screens) and grossed $1.5 million from 224 sites in its third Australia weekend. The cume from the two territories is $9.3 million.

Thanks to an estimated $1.8 million weekend at 3,587 screens in 45 markets, "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" pushed its overseas cume to $639.4 million, just $1.7 million shy of the international total grossed by the biggest of the three "Pirates" titles, last year's "Dead Man's Chest." Distributor BVI expects "At World's End" to eclipse "Dead Man's Chest" by the weekend, making the third title in the series the fourth-biggest international grosser ever.

Fox's "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" grossed an estimated $1.5 million for the weekend from 2,200 screens in 34 markets, hoisting its overseas cume to $107.8 million. An opening in Holland is scheduled this week.

Sony's "Vacancy" bowed in Germany (an estimated $265,000 from 150 screens) and in Italy ( No. 3 in the market with $180,000 from 150 situations). Overall, the snuff film-themed horror thriller grossed $720,000 from 510 sites in 11 markets for an overseas cume of $5.34 million.

Other overseas cume updates: "Hot Fuzz," $54.4 million; "Evan Almighty," $4.6 million (with 50 more territories to play); "Mr. Bean's Holiday," $185.7 million (a China bow is due Friday).


http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/con ... 2656e36190

Actually the drop isn't tha bad because in most countires it made more in its first two days. So I would say like a 50%-55% drop overseas. Probably a little better than here. Still, it is doing great and has a great chance at making 900 million WW.

I still contend, this is making $650+ million overseas

Well it is almost half way there.

Solid opening for Potter in Japan in Russia, not record breaking but it should hold OK.

UK's total is huge though.

Transformers had a good drop, though Mexico was slightly less than i was expecting...