Harry Potter nears $500m mark; The Hangover crosses $100m

The international cume is now just below the $500m mark, at $492.3m. The film is still number one in the UK on $5.1m for a new cume of $66.5m. It was also tops in Japan ($5.7m), Germany ($4.7m), Russia ($1.1m) and Italy ($1.1m) this weekend. The film has also passed the $40m mark in France.

What happens in Vegas is not staying in Vegas — it’s spreading worldwide for Warner’s comedy The Hangover, which now stands at $111.8m internationally after adding $7.9m this weekend in 43 territories. It led the charts in Singapore and made $2.2m in its second weekend in Germany. The Hangover, about the misadventures during a bachelor weekend in Las Vegas, has now grossed $33.6m in the UK, $16.2m in Australia, $11.3m in France, $5.1m in Russia, $4.5m in Italy and $4m in The Netherlands. Expansions coming soon include Spain and Mexico on August 14 and Brazil on August 21.

• As Screen tipped last week, Ice Age 3has indeed become the highest-grossing animated film in history at the international box office. The film made $22.3m this weekend for 20th Century Fox International on 8,886 screens, for a new cume of $550m. That beats the previous animated champ, 2003’s Finding Nemo, which made $525 internationally. In other records, Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs became the all-time industry top performer in Argentina with a new cume of $6.6m. It will expand into Korea and Italy later in August.
  
  
• Aliens In The Attic had a slow opening domestically, while its Russian opening hit $467,008.
  
  
• Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International had a hot weekend of more than $48m. Drivers to that include Up’s record-setting $8.6m opening in Spain, a strong showing in France of $9.1m and Korea’s biggest animation opening this year of $2.5m for a weekend of $23.7m and a new cume of $80.2m.

The Proposalsaw $11m from 2,693 screens in 32 territories, for a new cume of $78.2m. Hot markets include Germany with $4.1m and the UK with $2.7m. The Sandra Bullock romcom will next expand to Italy and France in September and Japan in October.

G-Force, the Guinea Pig family adventure film, expanded into 14 territories and made $10.9m from 1,615 screens (including $4.5m in the UK and $2.5m in Mexico). Brazil and Poland will open the weekend of August 14. Bolt finally opened in Japan on a strong $2.6m from 250 screens, pushing its cume to $187m, which WDSMPI now says will ensure a $200m international take by the end of its run.

• Meanwhile, Paramount Pictures International’s Transformers 2 grossed $3.8m on 4,815 screens in 63 territories, for a new cume in its sixth international weekend of $422m. PPI is gearing up for the launch of GI Joe: The Rise Of Cobra next weekend.
  
  
• Sony Pictures Releasing International’s The Taking Of Pelham 123 made $7.8m this weekend in 24 markets, including a UK opening of $3.2m and French opening of $2.4m. The cume is now $18.5m.

Also, Sony’s Terminator Salvation had a big opening in Mexico, at $2.9m and the number one spot at the local box office. That performance was 33% better than 2003’s Terminator 3. The international cume is now $241.4m.

• Universal had Judd Apatow’s Funny People opening in Russia along with its bland North American launch; it made $500,000 in Russia on 197 screens; the UK is the next major market to open on August 28.

UPI’s Public Enemieshas now crossed $50m internationally, adding $9.7m this weekend in 42 territories. Johnny Depp’s portrait of John Dillinger still has 20 territories to expand, including Austria and Germany next weekend.

Drag Me to Hell had a strong start in Spain, grossing $1.3m. UPI still has 10 more territories to open, including Argentina on August 13, Brazil on August 14 and Mexico on August 21.

Bruno’s international tally (from all distributors) is now $66m, after $4m this weekend in 33 territories.

Finally, UPI’s Land Of The Lost had a slow UK opening, in sixth place, with $1.1m. The Will Ferrell comedy’s new international cume is $10m.