Since the books are quite different from the movies (and of higher quality), they could remake the first 2 and make 2 more after.

To be honest, I've never been a big fan of the first book( still better than the film). The second is quite great. I never finished the third for some reason, but I did read the fourth which falls between the first ad the second quality-wise.

Hancock scores exceptional $78.3m international opening for SPRI
Jeremy Kay in Los Angeles
06 Jul 2008 22:13


Seven letters dominated the box office over the weekend as Hancock, pushed out by Sony Pictures Releasing International (SPRI) across half the world, demolished its rivals thanks to an estimated $78.3m gross from 5,444 screens in 50 markets.

The exceptional result is borne out by the comparisons. Based on grosses in the same territories, blockbusters like The Simpsons took $73.4m, Transformers grossed $72.6m, Spider-Man 2 grossed $58.3m and Smith's last release I Am Legend scored $63.9m.

Of the 50 territories opening, 47 delivered number one results led by the UK's $19.3m from 876 screens and Germany's $12.4m from 983 that produced 61% market share.

Elsewhere Hancock opened on $8.5m from 503 in South Korea in the 11th biggest launch of a Hollywood picture and grossed $7.3m from 354 in Australia. $5.5m from 461 in China was enough for the fourth biggest Hollywood debut in history while $3.4m from 400 in Brazil produced the 19th biggest opening there.

Smith's alcoholic superhero grossed $3.1m from 150 screens in Taiwan, $1.5m from 118 in Austria, $1.4m from 125 in Thailand, $1.3m from 52 in Hong Kong, $1.1m from 48 in Singapore and $1.2m from 70 in Malaysia for the 15th biggest launch ever. Switzerland and the Philippines produced $1.1m from 102 and $1m from 80, respectively.

The Gulf States opened to a total of $1.4m from 43 screens while the UAE delivered a superb $903,000 from 28 for the second biggest launch in history behind Spider-Man 2. Venezuela produced the third biggest launch ever behind Shrek The Third and The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian on $835,000 from 73.

In other records, Romania's $135,000 from eight generated the sixth biggest launch in history and Latvia's $90,000 from four produced the seventh biggest debut.

Next weekend Hancock opens in France, Mexico, Russia, Holland, Belgium, India, the Ukraine, Poland, Peru, French-speaking Switzerland, Finland, Ecuador.

Kung Fu Panda scored the biggest weekend of its powerful run to date, grossing $38m from 5,448 sites in 44 territories for a $150m running total.

The animated picture opened in 20 territories led by the UK on $10.7m including previews from 443 venues, Germany on $3.6m from 808 and Brazil on $2.9m from 295 including previews.

Poland delivered a solid $2.3m from 130, Argentina came in with a number one $924,000 from 105, Portugal delivered a table topping $800,000 from 67 and Austria produced $684,000 from 105 including previews. Israel opened top on $502,000 from 48 including previews.

Holdover business saw Kung Fu Panda add $3.8m from 262 in Australia for $13.5m and $1.9m from 410 in Mexico for $16m.

Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull added a further $7.1m from 3,400 sites in 62 territories for an extraordinary $429m. Japan generated $3.5m for $32.5m.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International's The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian is racing towards $200m and added $24.3m from approximately 5,000 screens in 42 countries for $194m.

The picture ranks number one in ten territories and opened very well in Spain on $6.3m from 350, beating the combined tally of the remaining top ten entries. Prince Caspian grossed $1.7m from 150 in Sweden and scored the biggest single day for a picture this year. Belgium generated $1.3m from 105, Norway $1.1m from 50, Holland $1m from 155 and Denmark $935,000 from 70.

In holdovers, Prince Caspian stayed top in France for the second weekend in a row as $5m from 760 venues raised the tally to $14m and the picture grossed $3.9m from 525 in the UK for $14.3m after two weekends.

The adventure sequel is expected to cross $200m by Tuesday or Wednesday and there is still all of German-speaking Europe to go.

Pixar's Wall-E ranks number one in eight out of its nine active territories and was in fine form this weekend, adding $12.9m from 1,645 screens for an early $18m running total. Mexico led the way on a $5.3m number one launch on 600 in what was the biggest opening for a Disney animated picture. The same record was set in Russia and the Ukraine, which delivered $5m from 500 and $436,000 from 80, respectively.

Elsewhere, Wall-E has reached a combined gross of $3.5m in Chile and Colombia after two weekends and opens in South Africa and Israel next week,

Universal/UPI's graphic novel adaptation Wanted boosted its score by $18.8m from 2,312 venues in 23 territories for an early $64.2m.

The Italian summer gamble paid off as Wanted launched at number one on $2.2m from 249 sites, while director Timur Bekmambetov's home country Russia generated a further $6.5m from 613 to stand at $21.7m and Wanted is now Universal's biggest and the industry's tenth biggest release.

South Korea delivered $3.8m from 240 for $12.9m while the UK produced $2.5m from 402 for $12.9m. There are 42 territories still to release.

The Incredible Hulk added $4.9m from 3,753 in 56 for $95.7m, $84.3m of which comes from UPI territories. $11.4m comes from Australia and New Zealand through Paramount/PPI and $6.2m comes from Spain through SPRI.

The green ogre has amassed $5.2m in Italy, $15.9m in the UK, $11.6m in Mexico and $4.9m in Brazil. There are seven territories to go over the next five weeks including Germany, France, Japan and China.

Mamma Mia! kicked off its theatrical run this weekend with a wide release in Greece that produced an excellent $1.6m from 155 sites and an exclusive one-week engagement at the Odeon Leicester Square in London that delivered $240,000. The UK opens wide along with nine other territories including Australia and Sweden this coming weekend.

Warner Bros Pictures International's Get Smart grossed $7.3m from more than 2,100 screens in 22 markets for $34.3m. In the second weekend Australia added $2.6m from 323 screens for $8.5m and Mexico grossed $1.8m from 690 for $6.8m while Brazil added $507,000 from 239 for $3.7m after three.

Speed Racer stands at $42.2m following a $1.2m weekend haul from approximately 1,100 screens in 31 markets.

Fox International has reached $1bn in receipts for 2008. Key drivers for the weekend were The Happening's $5m from approximately 2,700 screens in 64 markets for $79m and a $1.5m result for What Happens In Vegas on approximately 750 screens in 22 markets for $127.5m. Street Kings has grossed $35.5m and Shutter stands at $18.5m.

SPRI's You Don't Mess With The Zohan grossed $2m from 885 screens in nine markets for $23.3m and Made Of Honor added $1.5m in 1,180 from 29 for $50.6m. As previously mentioned, The Incredible Hulk stands at $6.5m in Spain and grossed $880,000 from 498 screens this weekend.

Int - 78.3m
Dom - 107.3m
WW - 185.6m

indy has dropped more than 40% again. Does not look like it will hit 800M WW.

Indiana Jones stands at $736 million worldwide..not bad not nad, but the legs in Japan are frankly disappointing.


Awesome for Hancock! This is getting $500+ million worldwide for sure.


For the first time in a while, solid news for Prince Caspian as its launches were pretty good this time around. I think that with Germany and Italy still to go, it's a lock for $450 million worldwide.


What Happens in Vegas is inching towards $210-215 million.


Kung Fu Panda is on track to become a huge worldwide hit as well. It'll be a tight race worldwide between Panda and Hancock, bot going for $500+ million.

$240,000 in the UK is great given that it's only playing at one location. Looks for good for the nationwide release on Thursday.

Not all that impressive in China for Hancock, considering it's a 5-day gross. It may not cross 10m RMB there with Red Cliff opening on the 10th.

"Mamma Mia! kicked off its theatrical run this weekend with a wide release in Greece that produced an excellent $1.6m from 155 sites and an exclusive one-week engagement at the Odeon Leicester Square in London that delivered $240,000." - we should definitely take that into account. I think it could jump even higher than the highest expectations...

Mamma Mia will be to TDK what Devil wears Prada was to SR.

Universal is having a pretty damn good summer so far and I am sure they can turn Mamma Mia into a hit.

That's pretty surprising. Hairpray didn't even come close to $100 million overseas.

Mamma Mia is hugely well-known everywhere here, though.

It actually dropped 39%, and as almost always it should be underestimated.

Mamma Mia could be bigger than Sex and the City actually.
If not, right up there in the same ballpark.

I'm still surprised at how big Sex and the City was in so many smaller European countries.

I think Mamma Mia will make more in the UK than SATC did. The promo in the UK has been just as good as SATC. Maybe even a bit better. Also Mamma Mia has PG rating unlike SATC which had a 15. So all the women who went to see SATC can now see Mamma Mia but this time with their young daughters and sisters.

So it looks like unless something just shocks us all that we will only have one movie make over 800 million WW this year? Harry Potter could beat Indy by over 200 million WW now that is a shock.

Nah, I think that Indy still has a shot at 800 WW, especially if it can hit over 320 in the states now. It really needs to be released in China though, dam commies, it probably would have been huge there.

I don't think it can make to 800 WW, especially since China won't allow it to be released there.

Yeah, definitely has the potential to be around the same sized kind of hit in the UK. Quite a few people i know are interested in it, and they don't normally go and see things in theatre.

Either way it is looking like 2006 again when you only had one mega film WW. Although I don't think Potter will make a billion like Pirates probably more like 950.

As i suspected, Indy was underestimated and only dropped 31.3%, 800mill is still in play.

http://www.uip-boxoffice.com/boxweb.nsf

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/intl/weeke ... =27&p=.htm

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull $8,151,776 -31.3% 44 -12 $429,978,865

And it could still go up when final numbers come in.

Its still sad, last summer we had 3 800 million dollar films and 2 close to a billion. That doesn't even count Shrek 3 which made almost 800. Indy will either just miss 800 or barely get by it and nothing else will come close till Potter.

What if Mamma Mia is the next Titanic?

LOL I doubt it.