The Asian market’s powerhouse status is nothing new, however its ability to shape the box office landscape continued to inspire awe as a $33m opening week single-handedly returned the international box office crown to Paramount’s G.I. Joe: Retaliation.

The $40m result includes the entire first week’s result from China, which is consistent with the way China currently reports box office debuts.

Oblivion ruled the roost last weekend thanks to a terrific $60m launch and Universal Pictures International (UPI) reported a solid $33.7m second session that elevated the running total to $112m.

Paramount Pictures International’s (PPI) G.I. Joe sequel soared past $200m to reach $211.7m with Japan still to come on Jun 8. Active in 13,616 locations in 62 territories, the sci-fi adventure led the way in China on 7,500 sites and in the course of a single week has already overtaken the lifetime gross of its predecessor.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation generated approximately $3m from 101 IMAX screens in China for a per-screen average of more than $30,000.

Brazil was the highest of the fourth-weekend holdovers on $600,000 from 400 theatres for $8.8m. Russia stands at $15.9m, Mexico $13.8m, the UK $11.1m, Australia $10.7m, Germany $10m and France $7.3m.

Hansel And Gretel: Witch Hunters has reached $165.4m and arrives in Italy on May 1. PPI looks likely to maintain an iron grip on the box office for a while. This week it launches Iron Man 3 internationally, one week ahead of the North American debut on May 3.

  • UPI’s Oblivion is playing in 60 territories and arrived in a further nine territories including Poland and South Africa. The sci-fi thriller grossed $1.6m on IMAX screens as the running total climbed to more than $6m on the giant screen format.

The Tom Cruise sci-fi thriller held on to its number one status in most of last weekend’s debut market including Russia, where a further $3.5m from 850 propelled the running total to $14.8m. The film grossed $2.6m from 525 in the UK for $12.3m and ranks top in Germany on $2.1m from 580 for $5.5m.

France returned a number four rank as $2.1m from 419 resulted in $7.1m after two weekends. Oblivion ranks top in Spain where $1.7m from 350 pushed the tally to $5.2m, while Italy generated $1.3m from 362 for $3.9m.

Cruise and friends rank third in Australia after $2m from 234 boosted the score to $6.7m and the film placed top in South Korea on $3.1m from 542 for $8.3m. A further $1.9m in Mexico from 561 elevated the running total to $5.8m while a $1.8m number one haul in Brazil from 420 boosted the score to $4.5m. 

The Japanese launch is set for May 31 and China will open on a date to be determined.

Mama brought in $2.9m from 900 venues in 22 territories to push the running total to $64.2m. The horror tale opened in Germany in second place on $1.6m from 329 and debuted at number one in Austria on $358,000 from 71. Identity Thief stands at $32.9m and Jurassic Park 3D $6.6m from 10 territories.

  • Fox International reported that DreamWorks Animation’s The Croods added $23.4m from 14,717 screens in 68 markets to push the running total to $274.5m.

The family filmed debuted in China on $6m from 5,000 and added $3.2m in France from 767 for $7.6m after two sessions and $2.2m from 512 Australian screens for $20.8m after four.

After five weekends of The Croods, Russia has generated $27.2m, the UK $35.9m, Mexico $24.3m, Germany $18.1m and Spain $15m.

Fox International Productions’ (FIP) Dragonball Z added $1.4m from 312 in its fourth weekend in Japan in association with Toei to reach $26.1m while FIPsRunning Man stands at $7.8m in South Korea following a $1m haul from 331 in the third weekend. Lincoln stands at $85.1m overall.

  • According to Rentrak, Olympus Has Fallen grossed $7.8m through Nu Image licensees over the weekend, while UGC’s Les Profs grossed $5.8m, The Weinstein Company’s Scary Movie 5 took $3.5m, Les Gamins generated $2.7m through Gaumont, Japan’s Detective Conan Private Eye took $2.3m and The Place Beyond The Pines, licensed by Sierra/Affinity, generated $1.6m.
  • Evil Dead grossed $2.3m through Sony Pictures Releasing International from 1,250 screens in 32 markets to reach $13.3m. The horror remake opened in Brail on $600,000 from 102. The lead market is Russia on $5.6m after three weekends.
  • Oz The Great And Powerful added $1.5m through Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International to push the running total to $254.8m.

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