http://www.screendaily.com/story.asp?storyid=25794
Ice Age sets industry and animated records around the world
Jeremy Kay in Los Angeles 10 April 2006
Fox International's Ice Age 2: The Meltdown generated one of the biggest international weekends of all time with an astonishing estimated $93m haul on 8,216 screens that raised the international running total to $156m.
The animated romp scored a number of new industry and distributor records as it sailed to the top in all its territories, led by a staggering $16.9m UK debut including previews on 502 screens that posted the second biggest animated opening ever behind Shrek 2.
Elsewhere the family behemoth opened on $17m in Germany including previews on 1,061 screens that is expected to be the biggest animated launch ever and Fox's biggest ever opening weekend in the territory.
Ice Age 2 launched in France on $12.5m on 858 for the second biggest animated launch ever behind Finding Nemo, and took just over $2m in Norway including previews on 125 for the biggest ever animated launch and a new record for the distributor.
In other all-time animated and Fox opening marks, the picture took $2.8m in Switzerland and $1.5m in Denmark on 93, as well as $24,000 in Trinidad. It also opened on $419,000 on 33 in the Czech Republic.
Incidentally the Denmark release was Fox International's first picture ever to go out in JPEG2000, the file compression format that complies with the standard established by the Digital Cinema Initiatives in July 2005.
Executives believe Austria's $2.9m haul is a new industry record and will confirm its status this week.
Australia produced a mighty $3.8m on 388, while $556,000 in New Zealand on 70 was enough for the biggest ever Fox opening and a new April record. Indonesia generated $169,000 for the second biggest animated opening of all time.
Second weekend holdovers were mighty. Russia added 5.1m on 459 for $15.8m, and Mexico scored the all time biggest second weekend on $4.9m on 1,112 for $17.6m.
Brazil also produced the biggest second weekend ever of $3.7m on 565 following a tiny 4% drop for a $9m running total. Spain added $4.6m on 450 for $12.3m.
Argentina also produced the biggest second weekend on $993,000 on 132 for $2.9m. Receipts in Belgium climbed 6% on $1.5m on 120 for $3.5m, while Chile generated Fox's biggest ever second weekend on $731,000 on 77 for $2.3m.
Latest figures put Fox's Big Momma's House 2 on $60.5m through all distributors, while Date Movie has amassed $24.2m. The Pink Panther added $2m for $70.3m.
Basic Instinct 2 added $5.8m on 3,452 screens through Intermedia/C2 from more than 40 territories. The international running total was unavailable at time of writing.
Universal's heist thriller Inside Man opened in five more territories through UIP this weekend including an excellent number one Italian launch that produced $1.8m from 275 sites.
It was Universal's biggest opening in Italy for the year so far, generating some 10% more than the debuts of Munich and The Bourne Supremacy.
Overall Inside Man added $8.1m from 2,100 sites in 32 territories and raised the international cumulative tally to $35m.
The picture ranked number two in the UK after adding $1.4m from 334 for $9m after three weekends. Germany ranks second and took $900,000 from 300 for $5.7m after the same amount of time.
Australia also ranks second on $3.1m after two weekends, while New Zealand generated a third place debut on $100,000 from 40 sites.
Universal recorded its biggest opening of the year in Argentina as $195,000 from 44 was good enough for second place.
Inside Man held on to second place in Brazil and has amassed $2.2m after three weekends, while Mexico has generated $2.3m after the same amount of time. There are 22 more territories to open including France and Spain next weekend.
The family picture Nanny McPhee opened in Mexico in fourth place on $330,000 from 200 sites, fifth place in Spain on $630,000 from 226, and seventh place in Italy through Eagle on $400,000 from 197.
Overall the picture added $1.6m from 1,000 sites in 36 territories for a fine $65m tally that includes $5.3m from France. There are 12 more territories to open including Japan on Apr 15.
Pride And Prejudice added $800,000 from 300 venues in 20 territories for an impressive $79.5m including $3.2m from France.
Paramount's romantic comedy Failure To Launch generated $3m from 1,445 sites in 20 territories through UIP, raising the international running total to $18.2m.
It opened on $329,000 in 100 venues in South Korea, and took $182,000 from 49 in its opening weekend in Holland
Italy produced a decent $460,000 holdover in 193 sites for $1.4m, while the UK stands at $3.6m and Germany stands at $4.7m.
Warner Bros Pictures International's V For Vendetta added $5.1m from approximately 2,000 prints in 41 markets, raising the tally to $32.1m.
The action picture opened in second place in Spain on $1.5m and 223,000 admissions from 303 prints, and second place in Brazil on $388,000 and 90,000 admissions from 100 prints.
In its second weekend V For Vendetta added $690,000 from 202 prints, dropping 42$ for a $2.3m cumulative total. The thriller Firewall added $2.6m from approximately 1,990 prints from 21 markets for a $22.5m running total.
Buena Vista International's The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe grossed $3.1mm to raise the international running total to $442.7m and the global tally to $734m.
Adventure Eight Below added $1.5m for $9.6m, led by a number one Taiwanese debut on $310,000 on 17 screens.
Sony Pictures Releasing International (SPRI) opened The Producers in Japan, traditionally a strong market for musicals, and the picture took $1.1m on 250 screens for an $11.5m international running total.
SPRI launched the family comedy Yours, Mine And Ours opened in second place in Mexico on $830,000.
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I wonder how high it can get on the alltime WW grossing animated films list.I think WW is going to be the #1 animated film rather easly,cars wont come close.
