Pirates 4 crosses $600m overseas as X-Men sparkle

A further $69.4m for $600.4m, according to Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International estimates, saw Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides become the 16^th biggest international release of all time and only the fifth Disney release to surge past $600m outside North America.

The fourth entry in the franchise crossed $600m in a record 19 days, matching the feat of Avatar in 2010. At this rate On Stranger Tides – already the biggest in the franchise in 41 territories including Brazil, Mexico and Russia – is within touching distance of Pirates 2 on $641.2m, Toy Story 3 on $649.2m and possibly Pirates 3 on $654m. Reaching the lofty heights of Disney’s top international ticket seller Alice In Wonderland on $690.2m, however, is likely to be a challenge too far.

Combined with the $190.3m North American haul, Pirates 4 has amassed $790.7m globally and ranks as the biggest 2011 global release of the year-to-date and the 31st biggest in history. It crossed $700m in a record 16 days and soared past $600m in 12, matching the achievement of Pirates 3 in 2007.

Germany and Switzerland led the weekend on $9.6m for a $59.9m running total, followed by Japan on $8.3m for $61.5m, France on $7m for $33.6m, China on $3.7m for $53m, Russia on $3.6m for $57.1m and the UK on $3.4m for $43.4m.

• Fox International revised its weekend estimate for X-Men: First Class down from $64m to $61m on Monday [6]. The latest entry in Fox’s superhero canon, launched on 8,900 screens in 55 markets, placing top in approximately 30 territories. One such locale was the UK, where the exploits of James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender coaxed $8.9m including previews from 950 screens.

Elsewhere, Fox International reported $7.1m in France on 687, $5m in Mexico on 1,535, $5.4m in South Korea on 599 for Fox’s third biggest opening weekend, $5.1m in Australia on 415, $4.1m in Brazil on 534, $3.3m in Spain on 517 and $3.6m in Russia on 933.

Other territory highlights include Malaysia where $1.5m from 145 delivered Fox’s biggest opening weekend ever and the Philippines, where $1.7m from 228 resulted in Fox’s third highest opening weekend.

Black Swan continues to fly high in Japan where it ranks as the second biggest foreign draw at the box office, adding $1.5m from 323 for $21.4m. Overall, the psychodrama stands at $214.1m internationally. Rio stands at $327.1m, Water For Elephants $53.7m and Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules $13.6m.

• Warner Bros Pictures International’s The Hangover Part II reached $154m following a $63.8m confirmed weekend. The comedy entered a further 13 markets and was active on 7,550 screens in 53 countries. The international tally after nine days accounts for 78% of the first film’s final gross.

It opened in Germany on close to 50% market share thanks to $13m including previews from 855 and took $5.1m in Russia from 755. Second weekend holdovers produced stirring results in Australia, where the film stayed top on $6.1m from 424 for $21.4m, as well as the UK on $6.3m from 475 for $34.1m (over £20.7m and closing the gap on the first film’s £22.1m final score) and France on $5.1m from 452 for $12.2m.

• A vibrant weekend also saw PPI reap rewards with DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 2. The family hit brought in $40m from 9,104 sites in 28 markets for $125m and there are launches still to come from major markets including the UK, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Sweden and South Africa next weekend.

China led the holdovers on a projected $13.9m gross for $48m after two weekends. South Korea delivered a $9m number one hold from 1,000 for $24.4m while Russia returned $5.4m from 966 for $24.2m.

The animated romp debuted in 17 territories, led by the UAE on $1.3m from 26 – the biggest opening weekend for an animated release. Kung Fu Panda 2 scored a significant result in 21 Vietnamese locations as it became the first film to open in the South-East Asian country on $1m.

Thor, he who kicked off summer 2011 in fine style last month, added $1.6m from 2,990 in 60 territories for $258m and opens in Japan on Jul 2.

• Fast And Furious Five has worked wonders for UPI and Universal’s heist thriller produced another $10m from 6,820 sites in 63 territories as the tally climbed to $367m and combined with the $202.1m North American gross for $567.1m worldwide. It is comfortably the highest earning film in the series across all three box offices.

Vin Diesel and his associates pulled off a record launch for Universal in Venezuela to the tune of $1m from 65. China was the top holdover on $2.2m from 1,500 for $30.3m after 25 days.

Elsewhere the release stands at $20.6m in France after 33 days, $26.3m in Germany after 39, $25.1m in Mexico after 24 and $19.8m in Brazil, also after 24. Fast And Furious Five is set to open in Japan in October and already ranks as Universal’s top grossing film in China, Mexico, Russia, Malaysia, Panama, Romania, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.    

The Simon Pegg comedy Paul stands at $53.9m and there are 17 territories to go including Mexico and Spain. The worldwide tally has reached $91.2m. The Adjustment Bureaustands at $58.4m and documentary Senna has reached $3.5m following a $500,000 debut in the UK in 67 locations.

• Sony Pictures Releasing International reported on two films. Hanna added $1.3m through all distributors from 70 screens in nine markets for $13.6m, while Priest brought in approximately $432,289 from 745 screens to push the tally to $42.1m.