Taken 2 delivers $45.1m int'l; Looper posts $109m; Impossible wows in Spain

Taken 2 was active on 6,889 screens in 63 Fox International and EuropaCorp markets and stayed top in its second weekend in four key markets led by the UK on $6m from 779 for $23.4m. The thriller dominated China on $3.9m from 1,500 for $9.8m, Australia on $3.6m from 367 for $13.6m and Mexico on $1.7m from 777 for $5.4m.

Bryan Mills’ family adventures coaxed a further $1.28m out of Brazilian audiences from 210 screens to rank third and reach $2.7m and the thriller opened in fourth place in Italy where it grossed $1.28m from 267.

Taken 2 debuted top in New Zealand as $1m from 126 exceeded the predecessor’s lifetime total and gave Fox its biggest launch in the market for the year-to-date.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter added $1m from 784 screens in seven markets to reach $71.3m, while Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Dog Days stands at $25.7m and Ice Age 4 has reached $707.4m.

• Endgame Entertainment’s sci- fi thriller Looper brought in a further $9m in its third weekend through FilmNation’s network of international licensees, excluding China where co-producer DMG Entertainment distributes.

The international total including $16.7m in China as of Oct 7 stands at more than $58m, which combines with $51.4m in North America for $109.4m worldwide.

Looper opened in 12 territories over the weekend, boosting the international screen count excluding China to more than 3,800. Mexico led the debutants on $800,000, followed by Argentina on $200,000 and Colombia on $100,000. The Joseph Gordon-Levitt thriller opened in South Korea on $1.7m including previews.

Turning to second weekend holdovers, Germany generated $536,000 for $2.1m, while the UK led third weekend business as $1.7m propelled the tally to $12.1m. The film held on to second place in Australia, which continues its hot streak at the box office and delivered $1.3m for $9m. New Zealand has generated $1.1m.

• UPDATE: Speaking of China, Arclight said the shark horror Bait 3D bit a $7.2m chunk out of the box office in its opening weekend through Yunnan Film Group, Enlight Pictures and Scholar Media on approximately 2,000 screens. Arclight handled international sales and is talking to buyers about Bait 2.
• UPDATE: Universal Pictures International reported that Ted has become the biggest original R-rated comedy in history after overtaking The Hangover’s $467.5m to reach $470m. Ted added $14.4m from 2,736 sites in 43 territories and as of Oct 14 stood at $251m. The potty-mouthed teddy bear opened in second place in France on $3m from 348 and finished in an unconfirmed first or second place in Belgium on an excellent $1.9m from 63, of which a record $1.3m came from previews. It opened in first or second place in French-speaking Switzerland on $171,000 from 20.

The Bourne Legacy used a $2m haul from 1,584 in 37 territories to jump up to $124.2m. Pitch Perfect has reached an early $1.3m and arrived in Taiwan in third place on $358,000 from 50 venues. Savages stands at $19.2m and opened in Germany on $1m from 272, while ParaNorman stands at $36.7m and Moonrise Kingdom has taken $5.7m from Universal markets.

• UPDATE: Warner Bros Pictures International reported that JA Bayona’s acclaimed tsunami drama The Impossible starring Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor opened top in Spain on a superb $13.3m (€10.3m) from 638 screens including previews for the biggest three- and four-day debut of all time. The film is an Apaches Entertainment and Telecinco Cinema production, distributed in Spain through Warner Bros Entertainment España.
• UPDATE: Hotel Transylvania grossed $13.7m through Sony Pictures Releasing International from 3,669 screens in 24 markets for an early $49.3m running total after three weekends. Brazil led the way with a number one $4.3m result from 441 in the second weekend for $9.1m, followed by the UK in a second place launch on $2.8m from 807. Mexico generated $1.7m from 759 in the third weekend as the tally climbed to $965m. Australia has generated $10.9m after three weekends.

Resident Evil: Retribution brought in a further $4.5m from 3,210 screens in 65 markets and stands at $170.2m. The fifth episode in Constantin/Sony’s horror franchises has amassed $44.5m in Japan after five weekends.

• UPDATE: DreamWorks Animation’s Madagascar 3 grossed $10.1m from 2,530 theatres in 32 countries in its 19th weekend through Paramount Pictures International to reach $465m. The animated menagerie stayed top in its second weekend in Germany where it produced $6.3m from 740 cinemas for $24m. Austria also returned a number one hold as $1.2m pushed the tally to $3m. The film stands at $23.6m in Australia after five. Madagascar 3 arrives in the UK this week and has already generated $4.8m from 552 in previews.
• Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International reported that the animation Frankenweenie took $4.9m from nine territories over the weekend while Finding Nemo 3D added $900,000 for a $13m running total. Pixar’s Brave grossed $1.6m for $294.2m.