Thor hammers competition on $89m overseas launch

Thor was active in more than 8,401 sites in 54 markets and the international running total stands at $98.9m accoridng to confirmed figures and includes Australia, where the superhero story opened last weekend. Most of the debuts exceeded the first forays of Iron Man and Wolverine.

The god of thunder stormed to number one in the UK on $9m from 500 over five days and claimed top spot in France on $8.1m from 579.

Russia generated $6m from 618 and Germany produced $5.9m from 535. In other number one debuts, South Korea delivered $5.7m from 513 and Mexico generated $6.5m from 526 to become the fourth biggest non-sequel debut after Alice In Wonderland, Clash Of The Titans and Spider-Man.

A clear number one in Italy followed $5.5m from 455 and Thor held off the competition in Spain on $5m from 377 and Brazil on $5m from 350.

Elsewhere the film, directed by Kenneth Branagh and starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Hiddleston and Stellan Skarsgaard, opened top in Taiwan on $2.1m from 58 and top in Singapore on $1.6m from 25. Thor ruled the Philippines on $1.3m from 98 and took $308,000 from 19 in Vietnam for that market’s biggest ever three-day launch.

The single holdover market was Australia, where the film added $3.3m from 226 for $13.1m after two weekends. Thor is scheduled to open in Finland on May 6, China on May 8 and Japan on Jul 2.

• Universal’s Fast And Furious Five continued to streak off into the sunset as a record-breaking second weekend haul of $46.2m from 3,211 sites in 14 territories nitro-boosted the tally to $82.6m.

The action film opened top in all 10 of its new markets including Russia, where $11.5m from 712 earned a clear number one for Universal’s biggest launch in the territory and the biggest four-day debut this year.

Universal Pictures International reported a number one launch in Germany on $10.2m from 633 for the biggest opening of the year so far, while $6.3m in Spain from 344 produced Universal’s biggest opening weekend and biggest opening day on Friday.

Fast And Furious Five opened in Austria on $1.4m from 82 and recorded the studio’s biggest opening weekend in Turkey on $900,000 from 175.

The UK led holdovers on $4.6m from 452 in second place for $18.6m, while Australia produced $4.7m from 230 for $20.9m and the film stayed top for the second weekend in a row. South Korea produced $2.6m from 239 for $7.1m and New Zealand stands at $2m.

There are 49 territories to go including France, Italy, Brazil and Mexico next weekend and China on May 12.

Hop grossed $5.7m from 3,800 in 53 territories for $58.4m and stands at $6.9m in Mexico after three weekends, $11.8m in Australia after four and $3.5m in Germany after five.

Paul has reached $49.2m with Australia on $6.2m after three and Germany on $5.1m after the same amount of time. Scream 4, which Universal is releasing in Spain, stands at $2m after two weekends and The Adjustment Bureau has amassed $52.7m.

• Fox International onfirmed on Monday [May 2] that Rio added a further $31.5m in its fourth weekend from 10,608 screens in 67 markets to boost the running total to $263.9m. France climbed in the third weekend and generated $4.6m from 781 for $15.7m for second place and he lead market Brazil produced $3.9m from 748 for $35.9m, also for second place.

The animated hit is the biggest film of the year-to-date in Mexico where it added $3.2m from 1,109 for $23.4m and ranks second after four weekends. Russia ranks second on $22.9m after the same amount of time The UK has generated $15.9m and Germany stands at $12m.

After three weekends Rio has amassed $5.7.m in Venezuela to rank as the second biggest Fox release in history behind Ice Age 3. After four weekends it is the third biggest Fox release in Argentina on $7.1m behind Avatar and Ice Age 3 and was locked in a battle with Thor for number one following a $691,869 hold.

On $6.6m in Colombia after four weekends, Rio ranks as the third biggest Fox release behind Avatar and Ice Age 3. It is the second biggest Fox animated release ever in Chile on $4.7m after four.

Water For Elephants added $4.6m from 1,830 screens in 23 markets for an early $8.1m and opened in Germany on $1.8m from 411 and took $715,526 from 300 in Mexico.

Gulliver’s Travels added $2.3m in Japan for $10.7m after three and stands at $187.9m internationally, while Diary Of A Wimpy Kid 2 stands at $6.2m and Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son has reached $44.2m.

• Warner Bros Pictures International reported that Red Riding Hood grossed an estimated $6.4m over the weekend from 2,875 screens in 45 territories for $46.2m. Key markets are Australia on $4.8m, Spain on $4.4m, Russia on $4.2m and the UK on $3.9m.

Arthur added $2.7m from 830 screens in eight as the tally climbed to $9.1m. After two weekends the comedy remake stands at $3.7m in the UK and it has grossed the same amount in Australia. The international running total for Sucker Punch stands at $53.4m.

• Sony Pictures Releasing International’s rom-com Just Go With It added a confirmed $1.9m from 1,157 in 54 for $107.6m and stands at $8.4m in Australia after five weekends. Alien invasion tale Battle: LA has grossed $117.9m.
• Summit International reported that Source Code grossed approximately $4.5m through Summit licensees for $35m.
• Lionsgate’s thriller Limitless added $2.4m over the weekend and launched in four markets. The internaitonal running total stands at$56.8m.