New Moon bites further $85.1m out of overseas box office to reach $243m

The vampire sequel expanded into a further 32 territories and used the full might of 8,476 screens in a 56-territory spread to dominate the overseas arena for the second consecutive weekend.

Globally New Moon is racing towards the half-billion threshold in less than two weeks. Combined with the $230.7m North American running total following a number one $42.5m three-day hold over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, the film has amassed $473.7m worldwide.

Germany led the charge from the new territories, as Bella Swan and Edward Cullen opened at number one on an estimated $18m including $3.8m in previews from 722 screens. This is the second biggest launch so far in 2009 behind Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince.

New Moon drew 380,000 German admissions from previews over the weekend and 207,000 on opening day, compared to 81,000 on the opening day for Twilight, which launched on fewer screens.

Summit said the film remained the number one attraction and has already overtaken the lifetime totals of Twilight in all the major markets where it opened last weekend.

The tally stands at $31.5m in the UK, more than $28m in France, more than $23.5m in Spain, and more than $23m in both Australia and Italy. Brazil has generated $14.3m and Mexico $13.2m.

• Sony’s 2012 finished the weekend in second place with another fine result, adding $61.6m from 12,090 screens in 107 markets to raise the running total to $455.8m.

Third weekend highlights are: $8m and first place in China from 1,630 screens for $51.3m; $5m and second place in France from 711 for $36.3m; $4.4m and second place in Germany from 990 for $29.8m; $4.3m and first place in Japan from 612 for $18.1m; $4.2m and first place in South Korea from 590 for $26.69m; and $3.1m and third place in the UK from 743 for $26.66m.

2012 stands at $33.3m in Russia, $18.5m in Italy, $18.2m in Spain, $15.6m in Brazil, $14.9m in Mexico, $13.9m in Australia, $12.6m in Taiwan, $7.5m in Poland, $6.5m in Thailand, $6.3m in Malaysia, and $6.3m in Turkey.

• Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International’s (WDSMPI) A Christmas Carol grossed $20.4m from 5,328 venues in 48 territories for $90.8m. Confirming the ongoing growth of international box office, WDSMPI sources said the running total is already close to 10% more than the entire overseas haul of Jim Carrey’s last holiday season release, How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

The film added $3.3m in the UK from 611 cinemas for $18.9m after four weekends and is projected to overtake director Robert Zemeckis’ 2004 motion-capture spectacle The Polar Express by next weekend.

Elsewhere, France kicked off with $3.2m from 321, Russia generated a further $3.2m from 304 theatres for $8.3m as the film overtook the final tallies of Beowulf and The Polar Express, while Japan produced $2.2m from 518 for $12.4m.

Spain generated $1.2m from 419 for $6.4m, which is more after three weekends than the entire run of How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and South Korea delivered $857,000 from 227 in the opening weekend.

G-Force launched in more than 300 screens in China on $1.5m, pushing the international cumulative total to $161.8m with South Korea, and Japan waiting in the wings.

Up added $1.5m from 2,482 in 24 territories for a $380m running total, while the family comedy Old Dogs took $1m from Mexico and South Africa in the only two day-and-date launches with North America. Mexico generated $816,000 from 321, matching John Travolta’s last pairing with director Walt Becker on Wild Hogs. It opens next weekend in Russia and Spain.

• Warner Bros Pictures International launched the martial arts title Ninja Assassin day-and-date with North America in ten markets and reported a very impressive $6m weekend haul from 920 screens that drew nearly 1.3m admissions.

The highlight was undoubtedly a $3.2m second place result in South Korea from 243 screens. Upcoming releases include Russia, Italy and Holland next weekend.

• Paramount/PPI unleashed the crime action thriller Law Abiding Citizen starring Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx in the UK, grossing $2.4m from 354 locations. Meanwhile the Spanish language Celda 211 continued its strong run in Spain, grossing $1.4m from 220 venues in its fourth weekend for $8.1m.
  
  
• Universal/UPI’s comedy Couples Retreat added $1.4m from 900 sites in 25 territories for $39.6m and has 36 territories to go including Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Portugal, Singapore and Thailand next weekend.

Inglourious Basterds plundered a further $1.2m from 960 venues in 30 territories for a $194m international running total, and the comedy The Invention Of Lying took $1m from 165 Australian venues. The total from Australia, New Zealand and previous releases in the UK, Trinidad and the U.A.E. stands at $11m.

The Coen Brothers’ dark comedy A Serious Man has grossed $1.4m after ten days in the UK and $485,000 in Australia after the same amount of time. The running total from three territories including New Zealand is $1.9m and UPI has a further 13 territories to release, resuming with Spain on January 8, 2010.

Public Enemies has grossed $7.3m from four weeks in Italy and stands at $108.3m overall. Japan will be the final release on December 12.