Potter pure magic as $114m dominates overseas

The estimated weekend tally from more than 19,700 screens in 62 territories drew around 15m admissions and boosted the running total to $383m. On this form Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 could sweep past the franchise record international haul of $657.2m set by 2001’s Sorcerer’s Stone.

An unprecedented $1bn worldwide gross for a single Harry Potter film must also be a target now bearing in mind that the $220m North American running total has put the penultimate instalment on $604m globally heading into the holiday season. South Korea is yet to receive the film and fireworks are expected there on December 17.

The film opened top in France on $19.1m (€14m) from 994 screens for the biggest Gallic launch of the year, while the UK led holdovers and produced $13.6m (£8.5m) from 580 sites for $53.5m (£33.4m).

In other key holds Warner Bros Pictures International reported:

Germany: $10.4m (€7.65m) from 1,450 screens for $36.8m (€27m);

Japan: $7.3m (¥610m) from 886 for $34.8m (¥2.9bn);

Australia: $6.4m (A$6.4m) from 610 for $25.1m (A$25.5m);

China: $5.3m (Rmb 35m) from 3,100 for $21m (Rmb 139.7m);

Italy: $5.5m (€4m) from 935 for $19.4m (€14.3m);

Spain: $3.9 (€2.9m) from 683 for $12.8m (€9.4m);

Russia: $4.8m (Rbl 148m) from 1,077 for $21m (Rbl 650.2m);

Mexico: $3.7m (Ps 46m) from 1,718 for $16.2m (Ps 199.7m); and

Brazil: $3.6m (R$6.2m) from 820 for $12.5m (R$21.5m).

Meanwhile the comedy Due Date added $8.2m from 3,468 screens in 44 markets for $73m and grossed $960,000 in the UK for $14.9m after four weekends. Other fourth weekend highlights resulted in $10.5m for Germany, $7.3m in Russia, $4.2m in Mexico, $3.7m in Spain and $3m in Brazil. After three weekends the tally stands at $6m in France. The film opened in South Korea on $262,000.

• Disney’s acclaimed animation Tangled launched well overseas, grossing $13.8m through Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International from 2,025 seven territories.

It opened top in six of them and inspired a momentous Russian launch on $7.5m from 850 for the biggest Disney animated title opening weekend of all-time and an industry record for a non-sequel animation.

There was a good debut in Mexico in second place on $2.9m from 800. Elsewhere Malaysia generated $770,000 for the second biggest Disney animated launch only behind Toy Story 3 and the industry’s third biggest launch.

• Unstoppable grossed a further $9.2m through Fox International from 4,531 screens as the running total climbed to $43.2m. The action title opened in second place in the UK on $2.9m from 419 sites and in third place in Russia on $1.3m from 600 screens.

Vampires Suck added just under $1m for $43m and debuted in France on $927,000 from 220 screens. Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps stands at $78.1m. 

• Summit International reported a $4m weekend for the graphic novel adaptation Red from 2,295 sites in 40 territories. The running total stands at $70.1m. Spy thriller Fair Game grossed $2m from 700 screens in 17 markets for $8.6m with most of Europe except the UK now active.
• Resident Evil: Afterlife added $3.5m from ten markets for $232m through Sony Pictures Releasing International and stands at $15.4m in China. The Social Network brought in a further $2.8m for $90.2m, while Takers stands at $9m and The Other Guys $49.6m.
• Despicable Me added $3m for Universal / UPI from 3,200 venues in 44 territories as the tally nudged towards $300m. The film stands at $284.4m with Japan the leading holdover on $600,000 for $13.4m.

Devil added $1.6m from 950 dates in 20 territories for $18m and launched in six this weekend. Mexico produced the biggest result on $570,000 from 350 sites. There are 13 territories to open including Argentina, Australia and Panama next weekend.

Universal’s co-production with Cattleya, La Donna Della Mia Vita, opened in Italy on $1.4m from 295. The American has amassed $8m from Universal’s four territories and launched in the UK on $680,000 from 236.

Julia’s Eyes stands at 8.3m in Spain after 31 days while The Kids Are All Right has grossed $3.2m from four Universal territories and $735,000 in Germany after two weeks. Documentary Senna has taken $2.5m in Brazil and Japan after a total of eight weeks and rolls out in 2011.

• Paramount / PPI reported a $1.8m weekend for Jackass 3D for $42m, while DreamWorks Animation’s Megamind stands at an early $32.6m. Paranormal Activity 2 added $1.1m for $82.3m.
• Lionsgate’s Saw 3D added $5.7m from 1,795 for $66.5m and opened in Germany, Austria and the Philippines.