Night At The Museum 2 made a strong start at the international box office taking an estimated $50.1m, although last weekend’s big opener, Angels & Demons, remained the top earner with an estimated $60.4m.

The family adventure comedy opened on 8,100 screens in 93 international markets over the same weekend as it made its North American debut, under the title Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, with an estimated $53.5m.

20th Century Fox International reported that the sequel – which reunites original star Ben Stiller with director Shawn Levy - topped local charts in the UK, France, Russia, Australia and Brazil.

Night At The Museum opened around Christmas 2006 and rolled out gradually over January to amass impressive $323.6m internationally, compared to $250.9m domestically.

Arriving in all major markets except Japan, Korea and Mexico, Night The Museum 2 took an estimated $6.8m from 512 locations in the UK; $5m from 698 screens in France; $4.4m from 883 screens in Russia; $4.3m from 800 screens in Germany; $3.6m from 395 screens in Australia; $2.7m from 500 screens in Spain; $2.5m from 512 screens in Brazil; and $2m from 562 screens in Italy.

With no family competition in most international markets until Ice Age 3 arrives on July 1, Fox believes Night At The Museum 2 will have a strong run through June.

  • A week after its near-global launch, Angels & Demons took its $60.4m from 10,610 locations in 99 markets. Sony Pictures Releasing International (SPRI) reported an estimated $4.1m chart-topping opening in Mexico on 801 screens. 

The follow-up to The Da Vinci Code was also the top film in Germany where it was down only 25% to gross $8m from 1,091 screens, for a total so far in the country of $23.6m, while in Spain it dropped 36% to $4.4m from 699 screens for a total  to date of $13.2m. It also fell 31% in Japan to $3.9m from 723 screens and dived 56% in Italy to $3.5m from 818 screens for a total gross of $17m so far.

In the UK, Angels was off 39% to $4.7m from 855 screens bring its total to date to $17.8m.   

  • This weekend’s other big North American release, Terminator Salvation, made its international debut in just one territory, with independent Lotte Cinema opening the action sequel in Korea. Box office figures were not available at press time.

Star Trekadded an estimated $11.5m from 5,282 locations across 58 territories, reported Paramount Pictures International (PPI), bringing its international total after three weeks to $87.5 m.

The sci-fi franchise reboot held up well in some major markets. In Germany, the estimated gross of $1.5m was only 25% down on last weekend, while in Australia the take was down just 27% to $1.5m.  In the UK, the gross fell 49% to $2.8m from 475 locations, bringing the film’s total for the country to $23.8m.

  • Fox’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine grossed an estimated $7m from 5,900 screens in 103 markets, for an international total to date of $156.7m. The weekend take included $876,767 from 509 screens in France (for a territory total of $14.4m) and $775,801 from 409 screens in the UK (territory total - $22.3m).
  • Hannah Montana:The Movie brought its international total to $30.9m, adding $3.1m over the weekend from 1,862 theatres in 18 territories, according to Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International (WDSMPI). It opened at number two in Mexico with $790,000 from 300 locations.  
  • Disney’s Confessions of a Shopaholic opened in France with an estimated $1.5m from 218 screens, boosting its international total to $59m. 
  • Coraline, from Universal Pictures International (UPI) grossed an estimated $1.9m from 1,043 dates in 23 territories, raising its international total to $21.3m. The animation opened in Korea and took an estimated $530,000 from 216 dates. In the U.K., it took $1m from 394 dates in its third weekend, for a total in the territory of  $7.8m.


Also from UPI:

  • State of Play grossed an estimated $1.5m from 657 dates in 14 territories (for an early total of $20.6m), opening in Japan with $933,000 from 278 dates.
  • Fighting grossed $1.1m from 512 dates in three markets (for an early total of $3.6m).
  • The Last House on the Left added $1.1m from 697 dates in 13 territories (for a total of $2.7m), opening in Mexico with $140,000 from 175 dates.
  • The Boat That Rocked took $850,000 from 518 dates in 15 territories (total - $21.8m). Fast and Furious added $630,000 from 1,000 dates in 46 territories (total - $192.8m).

PPI’s Monsters vs Aliens grossed $1m from 2,129 locations across 60 territories, bringing its international total to $163m.

Warner Bros Pictures International provided a rough weekend estimate of $755,000 for Gran Torino, bringing the film’s international total to $114.1m.

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