'The Martian' blasts to top of international box office with $45m

That was enough to beat last weekend’s top international performer, Chinese comedy Lost In Hong Kong (Gang Jiong), which this weekend (according to figures from Rentrak) grossed an estimated $41m from six territories, for an international total so far of $204m.

FOX INTERNATIONAL

UPDATE: Space survival story The Martian, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon, landed on 9,299 screens in 54 international markets on the same weekend that it made its debut in the US and Canada.

The $44.6m gross helped Fox International cross the $2bn box office mark for what the company says is an industry record seventh consecutive year (and the ninth time in Fox history).

Among markets in which it debuted at number one, The Martian’s confirmed $10.2m from 1,040 screens in the UK was the biggest ever opening for a Scott film and for a film starring Damon. In the UK and Australia, where it took a confirmed $4.5m from 489 screens, The Martian opened bigger than both Gravity and Interstellar.

In Mexico, The Martian grossed a confirmed $2.9m from 1,757 screens (for second place on the local chart) and in Hong Kong it took a confirmed $2.9m from 163 screens (to top the chart), becoming Fox’s second-highest opening weekend earner of all time.

In Italy the take was $2.8m from 532 screens; Brazil produced $1.9m from 700; Taiwan added $1.8m from 150; India tallied $1.5m from 488; Venezuela $1.4m from 68; and Thailand $1.1m from 243.

Fox said the markets in which the film opened this weekend represent only 5 of the top 12 markets and only about 40% of The Martian’s international box office potential. The film will open next weekend in Germany, Russia and South Korea, on Oct 16 in Spain, on Oct 21 in France, on Feb 5 next year in Japan and on a date yet to be determined in China.

Meanwhile, Fox’s Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials earned a confirmed $13.7m from 7,861 screens in 74 markets this weekend, for an international total to date of $148.2m. South Korea, where the weekend take was $1.5m from 414 screens, is now the film’s biggest international market, with a running total of $17.3m.

The studio’s Hitman: Agent 47 earned $1.1m from 466 screens in 12 markets, for an international tally so far of $59.5m.

SONY PICTURES RELEASING INTERNATIONAL

UPDATE: Dropping only 30% in its second weekend, Hotel Transylvania 2 grossed a confirmed $21.1m from over 5,989 screens in 45 markets, for an international total of $60.8m.

The animated sequel was number one in Latin America, with a regional total that is already bigger than the lifetime Latin American take of the original film. In Mexico, the weekend tally was down 41% to a confirmed $4.6m from 2,344 screens, for a total of $14.9m.

Pixels grossed a confirmed $2m this weekend from over 1,710 screens in 81 markets, for an international total to date of $159m.

UNIVERSAL PICTURES INTERNATIONAL

UPDATE: Everest, from Universal, Working Title, Cross Creek Pictures and Walden Media, grossed a confirmed $17.2m from 7,583 dates in 65 territories this weekend, for an international total of $104.1m, becoming Universal’s seventh film to cross $100m internationally this year.

The mountaineering adventure was top for a second week in Russia, with the weekend’s confirmed $2.2m pushing the local tally to $8.8m, and France, where the confirmed weekend take of $1.8m pushes the local total to $4.2m.

Everest was number three in the UK and Ireland with a confirmed $1.3m (total $13.3m) and opened at number four in Chile with a confirmed $180,000 from 58 dates for the weekend.

Universal and Illumination’s Minions took a confirmed $6.7m from 7,050 dates in 44 territories, including $4.3m from China, for a local total of $67.3m. With an international total of $812.2m, the animated family offering is now the tenth highest grossing film of all time internationally. And with a global total of $1.146bn, Minions is now the second highest-grossing animated film worldwide, after Frozen.

The Visit grossed a confirmed $2.9m at 1,857 dates in 30 territories for an international total of $18.6m.

Universal launched Alejandro Amenabar thriller Regression in Spain this weekend with a chart-topping estimated gross of $2.9m from 368 dates, the biggest opening in the market this year for a local film.

Straight Outta Compton grossed a confirmed $1.7m from 1,050 dates in 29 territories, opening in eight markets including Italy, where it took $392,000. International total to date is $35.7m.

Jurassic World took another $400,000 in 10 territories this weekend, pushing its international total to $1.013bn and making it the fourth highest-grossing film of all time internationally and the third highest-grossing film of all time worldwide.

WARNER BROS PICTURES INTERNATIONAL

UPDATE: After opening last weekend, The Intern held up well with a confirmed weekend take of $16.3m from more than 5,700 screens in 57 markets, for an international total of $36m.

The dramedy opened in Australia with $1.6m from 305 screens, good enough for second place on the local chart; in Mexico with $1.2m from 660 screens over four days; and in the UK with $1.2m (including previews) from 431 screens.

In Korea, the film became writer-director Nancy Meyers’ biggest local hit, with a second-weekend gross of $4.2m from 654 screens and a market total so far of $9.9m.

In its second weekend in Australia, Pan took a confirmed $1m from 389 screens for a local tally to date of $3.8m.

The fantasy adventure’s opening in New Zealand produced a confirmed take of $243,000 (including sneaks) from 135 screens, good enough for second place in the local chart.

Next weekend, Pan will open in the US and 52 more international markets, including Germany, Russia, Spain, Korea, Mexico and Brazil.

WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES INTERNATIONAL

UPDATE: In its penultimate major market opening, Inside Out made a strong start in Germany, going straight to number one with an estimated $7.1m, the third biggest local opening ever for a Pixar film. Overall, the weekend produced a confirmed $14.2m from 25 territories.

Set to open in China next weekend, the animated family outing has now amassed a confirmed $439m internationally.

Ant-Man, which also has only China yet to go, reached an international total of $231.0m.

LIONSGATE INTERNATIONAL

Sicario grossed $3.3m from 38 markets this weekend, taking its international tally to $10m.

The thriller opened in Germany with $1.2m from 302 screens (including previews).

STUDIOCANAL

Cannes competition entry Macbeth, with Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard starring for director Justin Kurzel, had its first openings this weekend and distributor Studiocanal reported a weekend estimate of $1.1m from 399 sites in the UK and Ireland.

In its fourth weekend, Legend took an estimated $1.7m from 511 sites, for a running total of $23.4m, making it Studiocanal’s third biggest film ever in the UK and Ireland.