Hangover 3 tops Fast 6 at int'l box office

The early international running total stands at $110.7m including three markets now in their second weekend.

There was a string of number one debuts. The comedy trilogy finale fared best in Germany on $15m from 727 for the biggest launch of the year and the biggest US comedy debut in history that finished approximately 28% ahead of The Hangover Part II.

The film arrived in Russia on $9.3m from 1,228 screens nationwide and placed 104% ahead of the second episode and opened in Italy on $7.6m from 530 and 162% ahead of its predecessor.

France generated $6.6m from 801, 24% ahead of Part II, while Brazil delivered $5.4m from 550, 138% ahead of Part II. Austria produced a remarkable $3.1m from 82 for the third biggest launch of the year-to-date and the sixth biggest in history, the biggest US comedy debut and Warner Bros’ third biggest launch.

Spain delivered $2.8m from 403 for number one and finished 5% ahead of Part II, while Holland generated $2.1m from 115 to rank number one and score the biggest US comedy debut and the second biggest launch of 2013.

The UK produced $4.5m from 873 in the second weekend to rank number one and reach $20.7m. Australia added $4.1m from 496 for $15.2m.

The Great Gatsby added $22.6m from 55 territories to stand at $120m. The film opened in director Baz Luhrmann’s homeland Australia and ranked number one on $6.7m from 587. In its first weekend in Mexico it grossed $1.9m from 612 to place second. The UK remains the lead market thus far on $18.4m, followed by France on $11.9m and Germany on $11.8m. Russia has generated $13.8m, South Korea $8.6m, Italy $8.5m and Spain $4.5m. Gatsby arrives in Japan on Jun 14.

• Fast & Furious 6 continued to roar into the record books as an estimated $75m in the second international session elevated the running total to $310.2m through Universal Pictures International. Globally the action thriller boosted the score by $109.5m to reach $480.6m.

The film’s pace is such that Fast 6 has overtaken the final international tallies of the first four entries in the series and studio executives project it will pass the $416m total of Fast Five within four weeks. 

International business from 9,776 venues in 62 territories produced 32 number one results including record-breaking debuts in New Zealand and Trinidad on $1.3m from 73 for a new franchise high and $436,000 from 17 for the biggest Universal and non-3D launch.

Mexico led the second weekend holdovers on $7.2m from 602 for $25.6m, followed by Germany on $6.8m from 621 for $22.1m, Russia on $5.4m from 896 for $28.5m, Brazil on $4.5m from 393 for $15.1m and the UK on $3.3m from 488 for $32.7m after three weekends.

Fast 6 arrives in Australia on Jun 6, Venezuela on Jun 21, Japan on Jul 6 and China in July.

The Purge, Universal’s first micro-budget film from its production partnership with Jason Blum, debuted in the UK on $1.5m from 347 sites to rank sixth. The horror thriller rolls out over the next five months and opens in North America this week.

Oblivion added $5.9m from 6,200 in 39 territories to stand at $186.5m and debuted at number one in Japan, a major Tom Cruise enclave, on $4.5m from 345 for 76% market share. Results from Venezuela’s Friday [May 31] debut are expected on Monday. The sci-fi’s worldwide total is $274.6m. 

German franchise Hanni And Nanni 3 stands at an early $6.8m in four German-speaking territories. Jurassic Park 3D has taken $11.2m so far and is expected to open in China this summer.

• Paramount Pictures International’s Star Trek Into Darkness is a hit in China and South Korea, where the sci-fi sequel opened on $25m from 8,000 cinemas and $5m from 600, respectively. The debuts fuelled a $37.6m international weekend from 12,293 venues in 43 markets that boosted the running total to $147.4m after four sessions.

The film has passed the final tally of the 2009 original and there are launches to come in Japan, Brazil, France, Italy and Spain. The China launch alone tripled the lifetime total of the original, while South Korea generated a debut twice that of the original. The UK tally stands at $35.6m, Germany $18.5m and Australia $14.2m.

• Fox International reported that Epic added $28.5m from 10,110 screens in 56 markets to reach $86.3m after three weekends. The animation arrived in Russia at number three on $7.9m from 2,007 and Holland at number four on $653,000 from 190.

The UK led the holdover march on $3m from 1,050 for $15.5m after two weekends, while a further $2.6m from 994 in Germany resulted in $9m after three. France has generated $5.8m after two, Mexico $8.5m after three and Brazil $7.3m after three.

DreamWorks Animation’s added $3.7m from 1,834 in 22 markets for $391.2m and overtook Tangled on $389.9m to become the industry’s 18th highest grossing animation.

• Iron Man 3 brought in a further $9.9m through Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International to stand at $795.2m and ranks as the seven biggest international release of all time and the fifth biggest worldwide on $1.18bn.
• Sony Pictures Releasing International reported that the Will Smith-Jaden Smith sci-fi After Earth opened in South Korea ahead of the 60-territory launch this week and delivered $2.7m from 494 over four days for second place.