Inception rules as $55m dominates overseas box office

The sterling effort saw the Warner Bros Pictures International (WBPI) release overtake Toy Story 3 and soar to $171.5m after three weekends.

The key territory was Germany, where the sci-fi thriller launched on $7.3m from 715 screens ahead of Disney’s new release Toy Story 3. Meanwhile Inception opened in Hong Kong on an impressive $1.8m.

Solid holdover business drew a further $5.4m out of Australia for $14.4m after two weekends, $5.2m from South Korea for $14.m after two, $5m from the UK for $31.5m after three, and $3.8m from France for $15.4m after two. Japan added $3.7m for $17.8m after two weekends while $3.7m in Russia raised the tally to $14m after the same amount of time.

WBPI will implant Inception in Spain and Brazil next weekend, followed by Italy on September 24.

Family sequel Cats And Dogs 2 debuted in Russia, the Ukraine, Holland, and Israel, grossing $3.2m from 873 screens. The 3D share of the box office was 74% from 61% of the screens.

Russia opened in third place on approximately $2.4m from 682 screens, roughly 20% higher than the launch of the original. The film arrives in the UK and France next weekend.

• Toy Story 3 surged past the $400m thanks to another strong weekend through Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International that saw the film add $39.1m from 8,213 screens in 48 territories.

The running total currently stands at $436.4m, placing Toy Story 3 fourth in Disney’s all-time animation pantheon and seventh in the industry-wide animation stakes. The worldwide tally has reached $826.1m and the film is the fourth biggest global animation release and Disney’s second behind Finding Nemo on $867.8m.

Toy Story 3 held firm in the UK on a mighty $12.4m (£8m) from 868 for $61.4m (£39.6m). The 30% decline means that after 14 days the film already ranks as the third biggest animated release in the territory behind Shrek 2 on £48.2m and Toy Story 2 on £44.3m.

Toy Story 3 continued to dominate in Japan, where it has now ranked top for four consecutive weekends, and gained 7% to gross $7.1m (¥612m) from 529 and raise the tally to $61.8m. It currently ranks as the third biggest US animated behind Pixar stablemates Finding Nemoon ¥11bn and Monsters, Inc on ¥9.5bn.

The film stayed top in Spain in its second weekend on $3.3m from 710 for $15.5m and has already passed Toy Story 2’s entire run.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice grossed $9m from 2,335 screens in 28 territories to boost the early running total to $40.8m. Mexico was the key driver for the weekend, launching on $1.9m from 355. Scandinavian territories combined to deliver $1.3m from 345 in the opening weekend, while Russia added $658,000 for $12.4m.

• Angelina Jolie’s global appeal is at the top of its game as Salt delivered a rousing weekend through Sony Pictures Releasing International, adding $24.5m from 2,850 screens in 29 territories to boost the tally to $32.8m after less than two weeks.

Among the highlights were a number one $6.5m debut in South Korea on 531 for Jolie’s biggest launch and a chart topping $5.m in Russia from 706 that produced the star’s second biggest live-action debut behind Wanted. The spy action thriller opened in second or third place in Japan on $3.9m from 334 and scored Jolie’s biggest live-action launch in Brazil on $2.3m from 252.

Elsewhere Salt debuted in first place in the Philippines and on Malaysia on $1.3m from 80 and $1.1m from 110, respectively. In another fine Southeast Asian result, the film delivered $870,000 from 60 in Indonesia, while the Ukraine generated a chart-topping $570,000 from 80. All four territories produced record debuts for a Jolie film.

The Karate Kid grossed $12.4m from 2,530 in 31 for $75.1m. Including China, the running total climbs to $81.9m. The UK led the way with a superb $7.6m second place launch from 659 behind Toy Story 3, while Germany added $1.9m from 518 for $2.5m after two weekends for fourth place.

• Shrek Forever After crossed $400m through PPI following a $19.5m haul through from 6,421 sites in 57 markets. DreamWorks Animation’s 3D hit has now amassed $404.2m outside the US and Canada.

The biggest contribution came from Brazil, where the film held on to its number one berth in the fourth weekend on $3.3m form 527 sites for $34.9m. Shrek Forever After added $1.8m from 931 in France for $34.1m and $1.4m in the UK from 683 for $44.5m after five. Mexico added $1.4m from 810 for $23.6m after three and $1.1m in Germany from 708 for $21.8m after five.

M Night Shyamalan’s fantasy thriller The Last Airbender added $9.4m from 1,987 venues in 17 territories, raising the international running total to $39.5m. France delivered the biggest debut from seven new markets on $4.3m from 480, while Belgium produced $1m in first place.

• Summit International’s The Twilight Saga: Eclipse added a further $11.2m from 5,963 screens in 67 markets for an excellent $356.7m. The only new market was India on $965,000 from 350, while Germany added $2.5m, France $1.4m, the UK $1.3m, Brazil $720,000, Australia $610,000, and Spain $500,000,
• Universal/UPI’s animation Despicable Me added $10.5m from 1,798 sites in 20 territories to raise the early total to $29.2m. The film rampaged through parts of Latin America, opening top in Mexico on $4.5m from 497 for 36% market share and Universal’s biggest launch.

In further excellent results that delivered record opening days and weekends, Despicable Me debuted at number one in Argentina and Peru on an excellent $1.4m from 93 and $1m from 47, respectively. Chile produced $325,000 from 41. Results from Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Uruguay will be available on Monday.

There are 42 territories still to go in the next few months, including Brazil, Hong Kong, India and Israel next weekend.  

Get Him To The Greek grossed $250,000 from 320 in 11 for $22m, while German family comedy Hanni Und Nanni added $300,000 from 387 venues in Germany and Austria to elevate the tally to $4.6m. Robin Hood remains active in 20 territories and stands at $205m.

• Fox International’s Knight And Day has crossed $100m after $13.7m raised the running total to $110m. France was the biggest new market this weekend on $4.1m in second place. Spain generated $1.4m and the next major release will be in the UK on August 6.

The A-Team opened in three new European markets, the best of which was the UK on $5.5m including previews. In Spain the film opened third on $1.4m behind Toy Story 3 and Grown Ups. Overall, the weekend haul came to $7.2m from 11 markets and The A-Team currently stands at $68m.

Predators added $2.9m for $54m and Marmaduke has grossed $27.3m.