Disney/Pixar's 'Ratatouille' cooked up more than $21 million at the foreign box office, matching the combined grosses of the next three pics.

"Ratatouille" continued to feast at the foreign box office, winning its second weekend in a row with a solid $21.1 million at 3,416 playdates in 34 markets.
Frame also saw Universal's "The Kingdom" showing only modest firepower internationally with $5.4 million at 1,461 in 20 markets, reflecting the challenge that pics with Mideast themes and settings face in offshore territories. Jamie Foxx actioner didn't crack seven figures in any market, declining 43% in its second U.K. frame to $980,000 and opening mildly in third in Germany with $800,000 and in second in Japan with $750,000.

U said "The Kingdom" launched well in Middle Eastern markets with positive word of mouth as foreign cume hit $10.1 million, but the pic already looks unlikely to match the $100 million international total for Foxx's previous actioner, "Miami Vice." By contrast, "Ratatouille" underlined the strong international appetite for animated comedies such as Paramount's "Shrek the Third" (with $470 million overseas) and Fox's "The Simpsons" ($340 million in foreign box office). The Disney/Pixar toon dominated an otherwise moderate session by nearly matching the combined grosses of the next three finishers -- "Resident Evil: Extinction," Spanish ghost tale "The Orphanage" and "The Heartbreak Kid."

"Ratatouille" opened solidly in the U.K. with $9.8 million at 400 and stayed strong in its German soph sesh, declining just 22% to $6 million -- in each case, taking in more than the combined grosses of all other pics in the top 10. The Mouse waited until the fall to take advantage of the disappearance of summer tentpoles and opted to position the pic to take advantage of school holidays in the U.K.

"Ratatouille" also won via holdovers in Austria, Denmark, Greece, Norway and Switzerland as the foreign cume hit $271.4 million. And the cooking comedy is set to move up that ladder in coming weeks with launches over next frame in China, Italy, Poland and Sweden.

"Ratatouille" helped overall biz stay healthy for a mid-fall frame and nearly matched the take of the leader of the same 2006 weekend, "The Devil Wears Prada." Thanks mostly to high-profile pics, foreign box office for the majors has stayed more than 15% ahead of last year's record-setting pace.

TORONTO -- A tasty opening in Britain helped "Ratatouille" remain top chef at the international boxoffice, with estimated weekend ticket sales of $21.2 million from 3,416 screens in 34 territories.

The Disney/Pixar cartoon retained its international lead after ringing up an estimated $9.8 million in Britain at 500 locations.

In Germany, "Ratatouille" bit off an estimated $6 million at 970 dates (off 22% from last weekend) to take its market total to $20.6 million. In its second weekend in Austria, the animated movie pulled in a projected $1.1 million from 130 runs for a market cume of $2.9 million.

The film also retained the No. 1 position in German-speaking Switzerland (an estimated $810,000 at 104 dates), Denmark (an estimated $575,000 from 100 locations), Norway (an estimated $545,000 off 79 screens) and Greece (an estimated $395,000 at 136 dates).


In its 11th weekend in France, "Ratatouille" earned a projected $605,000 from 518 screens to take its market total to $59.4 million.

The latest frame raises the international cume for "Ratatouille" to $271.4 million, making it the third-biggest Disney/Pixar release ever, and the sixth-biggest animated title ever released by Disney.

This weekend's performance brings the global tally for "Ratatouille" to $475 million, around $10 million short of the world cume for "Toy Story 2."

Next up for the Disney/Pixar powerhouse is an opening in Italy on Wednesday, and Friday bows in China, Sweden, Poland and Finland.

'Ratatouille' still a tasty treat
Overseas audiences continue to crave Pixar
By DAVE MCNARY“Ratatouille” laid out another feast at the international box office, dominating an otherwise moderate weekend with $27.7 million at 3,793 playdates in 33 markets.
With a robust Italian launch plus strong holdover biz in the U.K. and Germany, “Ratatouille” cooked up its third straight overseas victory. The Disney/Pixar toon took in more than the combined grosses of the next four pics -- “Stardust,” Spanish chiller “The Orphanage,” “Resident Evil: Extinction” and “Superbad.”

Thanks to a second wave of launches that’s brought in more than $80 million this month, “Ratatouille” has kept overall biz healthy during what is often a quiet period at offshore multiplexes. “The Devil Wears Prada” won the same frame in 2006 with $19 million internationally.

“Ratatouille” has exceeded Mouse House forecasts with a $308 million international cume. It’s became the 50th film to hit the $300 million milestone and the seventh 2007 pic to do so, joining the third iterations of “Spider-Man,” “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Shrek,” the fifth “Harry Potter,” “Transformers” and “The Simpsons Movie.”

Disney execs opted to hold back the toon from about half the foreign markets during the summer to avoid going head to head with better-known franchise pics like “Shrek the Third” and “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.”

In its final major-market opening, “Ratatouille” led the way in Italy with $7 million -- bettering “The Incredibles” as the best Pixar launch in that market. Second-frame Brit biz held nicely with $6.5 million, off only 28%; Germany takings edged down just 9% in the third weekend to $5.9 million for a $28.7 million Teutonic cume.

“Ratatouille” also racked up a $2.2 million Swedish debut along with $900,000 in Poland and $590,000 in Finland -- each representing the second-best animated opening in those markets after “Finding Nemo.” Third-frame grosses increased 8% to $865,000 in Switzerland and a whopping 26% in Denmark to $730,000.

Paramount’s “Stardust” led the rest of the B.O. pack abroad, conjuring $8.1 million at 2,214 in four dozen territories -- half of that from its second-place U.K. launch with $4 million, 35% ahead of the “Eragon” opening. But the fantasy pic opened far more quietly in its German debut, tallying $1 million.

“Stardust” has shown moderate traction outside the United States, generating a $42 million overseas cume -- $4 million better than the middling domestic total -- as foreign performance mostly meets expectations.

With “Ratatouille” the only U.S. release putting up significant grosses, “The Orphanage” stayed stellar in Spain with $5.6 million at 373 in its soph sesh, off only 24%. Spanish cume has hit $15.7 for the locally produced ghost story, distribbed by Warner Bros.

“Resident Evil: Extinction” continued to scare up respectable numbers for Sony and Summit with $5.6 million, lifting the pic’s foreign cume to $48.2 million. Three-quel eventually could match the $78 million international total for predecessor “Resident Evil: Apocalypse.”

Sony’s “Superbad” took in $4.6 million at 1,900 in 28 markets, led by a respectable Spanish launch of $2.6 million. The raunchy teen comedy also opened in second place in Brazil, Ukraine and Singapore for a $32.2 million foreign cume -- in line with studio expectations, given the tricky task of marketing laffers without major stars in overseas markets.

Despite George Clooney’s star power and mostly positive notices, ”Michael Clayton” continued to represent a marketing challenge overseas with a modest $3.1 million at 1,112 in nine markets for Summit. Best numbers came from a $1.4 million French launch, a $1.1 million Australian debut and a Mexican opening.

The legal thriller has cumed $12.2 million overseas, with its Brit and Italian runs mostly done, and Germany and Spain not yet open. Worldwide total has hit $34 million.

“Rendition,” another high-brow drama, opened quietly day-and-date in the U.K. with $1.1 million.

Other U.S. fall releases going overseas are largely mirroring their moderate domestic perfs.

Par’s “The Heartbreak Kid” took in $3.7 million at 1,154 in nine markets, lifting its foreign total to $19.3 million and its worldwide tally to $51 million.

Universal’s “The Kingdom” remained a tough overseas sell, generating $3 million at 1,530 in 22 territories, led by a quiet German soph sesh with $520,000, off 34%. The actioner has fallen short of studio hopes with $16 million internationally in its early run.

U’s “Knocked Up” chipped in with $2.8 million at 1,060, including a modest $1 million Italian launch, to lift the laffer’s foreign total to a solid rather than spectacular $61.8 million. Combined with domestic, the worldwide “Knocked Up” total has hit $210 million.

In Brazil, Universal’s co-production of local crime drama “Tropa De Elite” scored a second victory with $1.5 million in its third frame for a 17-day cume of $6.3 million.

Overseas still hungry for 'Ratatouille'
'Stardust,' 'Saw IV' solid at foreign box office
By DAVE MCNARY

'Stardust'
Despite a weak domestic performance, Paramount's 'Stardust' has been shining brightly at the foreign box office with a cume of $60 million.
"Ratatouille" remained ruler of the international box office for the fourth straight weekend, easily winning the frame with a tasty $21.9 million at 4,770 playdates in 31 markets.

The weekend also saw a pair of solid perfs from "Saw IV," with $12.6 million at 1,600 in day-and-date launches in 15 territories, and from fantasy actioner "Stardust," with $11.2 million at 2,860 in 54 markets.

But Michael Moore's "Sicko" looked less than healthy in its Brit debut in 11th place with a quiet $325,000 at 166.

Moore had tubthumped the docu -- which features extensive footage from the U.K. -- and attended the London preem, but "Sicko" has shown only modest traction outside the U.S., with foreign cume at about $9 million from over a dozen markets compared with $24.5 million Stateside. Best takes so far have come from France and Italy with $2 million each.

"Ratatouille" continued as the dominant pic -- even though the toon completed its final launches during the previous frame -- with first-place finishes in the U.K., Italy, China, Poland, Switzerland and all four Scandinavian markets.

The Disney-Pixar toon cooked up its top figures in its third U.K. frame with $8.2 million, rising an impressive 31% amid school holidays; its Italian soph sesh with $4.3 million, off 35%; and its fourth German frame with $3.6 million, off 45%. The Brit cume hit $36.3 million, surpassing Japan as the second-biggest "Ratatouille" market behind France's $60 million.

"Ratatouille" has cumed $346.8 million overseas -- well above Disney's forecasts -- and $552 million worldwide. It may still have enough gas in the tank to have a shot at becoming the 29th pic to hit the $400 million mark internationally.

Four 2007 pics have already crossed $400 million -- the third versions of "Pirates of the Caribbean," "Spider-Man" and "Shrek" and the fifth "Harry Potter" -- as key drivers in pushing this year's foreign take for the Hollywood majors on track to finish at least 10% ahead of the 2006 total.

"Saw IV," handled by a variety of distribs internationally, performed in line with expectations as it scared up biz in the same range as "Saw III" launches, with $5.2 million in the U.K. and $2.7 million in Spain. The horror-thriller finished first in Australia with $1.8 million and in Turkey with $1.2 million.

Though horror is a tricky sell in many foreign markets, the "Saw" franchise has turned out to be fairly robust. The three previous "Saw" installments combined for over $190 million internationally, with "Saw III" taking in $84 million offshore.

Another horror franchise outing, "Resident Evil: Extinction," has already generated respectable overseas autumn biz for Sony and Summit with another $3.5 million over the weekend to lift foreign cume to $55 million -- $5 million ahead of domestic cume. The zombiefest, which opens next weekend in Japan and Spain, has performed in line with expectations since the two previous "Resident Evil" pics combined for $150 million outside the U.S., $60 million ahead of the U.S. totals.

Paramount's "Stardust" also continued to show more attraction overseas than domestically, with foreign grosses now at $60 million -- $22 million ahead of the disappointing Stateside total. The frame saw mixed results as Brit audiences embraced the Claire Danes starrer with a 14% hike in the soph sesh to $4.7 million, while other markets were muted in launches in France with $1.1 million, Spain with $1 million and Japan with $667,000.

Frame saw Constantin's German toon "Lissi" take the top spot in Germany with $5.2 million, beating the fourth frame of "Ratatouille." The Michael Herbig pic is a spoof of the "Sissi" trilogy of the 1950s.

Another local entry, Spanish chiller "The Orphanage," remained a solid performer with a third victory in Spain with $4 million at 373, off only 16%. The ghost story, distribbed by Warner Bros., has topped $20 million in three weeks.

Sony's "Surf's Up" showed some spark with $5 million at 2,212, thanks mostly to a $2.9 million French debut. The toon's foreign cume has hit $64.6 million from three dozen markets -- $6 million ahead of the domestic total -- in a performance that underlines the appetite for animated fare offshore.

Fox saw only moderate traction in Italy for its launch of "Live Free or Die Hard" (or "Die Hard 4.0," as it's known overseas) with $2 million at 427 -- an exception to what's been a mostly robust foreign performance. Foreign cume for the fourth iteration has hit $240.6 million to go along with $138 million domestic.

The Italian launch of "Die Hard" edged the first foreign opening of "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" with $1.8 million at 290 for Universal.

"Eastern Promises" debuted moderately in the U.K. with $1.3 million at 280. The awards season contender's also cumed $3.8 million from four weeks in Spain.

Not just a fighting chance, I think at this point it's a lock to pass it.

'Ratatouille' still hot
Toon tops scare fare for 5th o'seas win
By DAVE MCNARY"Ratatouille" continued to feast at the international box office, cooking up its fifth straight weekend victory with $14.5 million at 4,381 playdates in 29 markets.
The frame also saw franchise scare fare remain healthy outside the U.S., with "Resident Evil: Extinction" taking in $10.7 million and "Saw IV" grabbing $8.2 million.

And initial limited foreign debuts of "Bee Movie" and "American Gangster" performed well, with "Bee Movie" flying to $3.2 million at 492 in Russia and the Ukraine while "Gangster" shot up $150,000 at 23 in Bulgaria and the Baltics.

But "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" didn't conquer the offshore box office, finishing in a tie for first in the U.K. at $2.9 million with the third frame of "Ratatouille" in what's probably the prime foreign market for the sequel. For the weekend, "The Golden Age" took in respectable rather than blockbuster biz with $4.8 million at 600 in half a dozen territories.

"Ratatouille" took in its top figures from its fifth German frame with $3.7 million -- tying the launch of "The Heartbreak Kid" for a close second to the soph sesh of local comedy "Lisi" -- and its third Italian weekend with $3.6 million. Along with the U.K. and Italy, it won in China, Denmark, Poland, Sweden and Switzerland.

"Ratatouille" has cumed $371.8 million overseas and $577 million worldwide in a performance that's exceeded expectations -- particularly in international markets given that the property carried little initial recognition.

Fifth straight victory at the foreign box office was the first for a film since "Night at the Museum" at the start of 2007.

"Resident Evil: Extinction" scored with solid launches in Japan with $5.1 million and in Spain with $3.4 million to lift international cume to nearly $71 million. That's in line with expectations as the second outing in the zombie franchise, "Resident Evil: Apocalypse," cumed $78 million overseas.

"Saw IV" performed best in Spain, with $1.3 million in its second frame, and lifted its cume to $22 million from 22 markets. The four "Saw" pics have performed decently overseas, combining for more than $213 million outside the U.S.

Paramount's pair of autumn entries, "The Heartbreak Kid" and "Stardust," continued to show significantly more traction in foreign markets than domestically. "The Heartbreak Kid" grossed $7.5 million at 1,591 in 20 markets, with half of that coming from its German launch, pushing international cume to $30.3 million at the halfway point of its run -- only $5 million short of the U.S. total. "Stardust" conjured up $7.3 million at 2,436, led by $2.7 million in its third U.K. frame. The fantasy's cumed $73.2 million, or nearly double the domestic total.

Sony's "Surf's Up" landed another $5.9 million at 1,980, mostly via $3.6 million in its French soph sesh. Although the toon disappointed domestically with $58 million, foreign cume's now surpassed $72 million in a demonstration of the international appetite for most animated fare.

Universal's "The Kingdom" remained a moderate performer with $5.5 million at 1,696 in 32 markets, led by a $2.1 million launch in France. Foreign cume for the Mideast actioner is a modest $26 million.More than one option(Film) The Kingdom
1995 - Ernst-Hugo Jaregard, Lars von Trier
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2007 - Jamie Foxx, Peter Berg
(Tv) Stephen King's Kingdom Hospital

"The Bourne Ultimatum" continued its successful international run with $5.3 million at 931, mostly from its $4.4 million Italian opening. "Ultimatum" has cumed $191 million overseas -- nearly matching the combined international grosses of the two previous "Bourne" pics.More than one option(Film) The Bourne Ultimatum
(Person) Randy Balis

The raunchy comedy hits "Superbad" and "Knocked Up" stayed mostly moderate overseas. "Superbad" took in $3.5 million at 1,485 to lift its foreign cume to $40 million; "Knocked Up" knocked down $1.8 million at 690 to hit $68.6 million internationally.

Next frame should represent a major foreign test for pics with Mideast themes as well as Tom Cruise as Fox goes day-and-date with MGM-UA's "Lions for Lambs" in most major markets, including the U.K., Germany, Spain, Mexico, Russia and South Korea.

it has dropped hard in UK though. Hopefully it holds better during next 2 weeks.

Cloverfield was big at No.1 in Uk.

The U.k really have a thing for horror/thriller movies this year.

No.1's have included I Am Legend, Alien Vs. Predator 2, Sweeney Todd and now Cloverfield.

Probably all whoring the trailers for All The Boys Love Mandy Lane, One Missed Call, Diary Of The Dead, The Ruins, P2 and The Eye which all open over the next 8 - 10 weeks.

1st weekend of 2008 - I Am Legend $7,392,034 (2nd weekend)
2nd weekend of 2008 - I Am Legend $4,013,641 (3rd weekend)
3rd weekend of 2008 - Alien Vs. Predator 2 $3,852,127
4th weekend of 2008 - Sweeney Todd $8,971,542
5th weekend of 2008 - Cloverfield $6,848,637

Wehay.