Warner Bros revises HP7 Pt 2 overseas launch to $312.3m

The franchise finale was active on more than 20,000 screens in 59 countries and weekend performances were led by all-time highs of $37.8m in the UK, $27.1m in Australia and $18.5m in Scandinavia.

At this rate, the first billion-dollar single Harry Potter film appears to be on the cards, a feat domestic distribution chief Dan Fellman forecast on Sunday. The performance crushed the $260.4m mark set in May by Disney’s Pirates Of The Caribbean 4 and overhauled Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince’s $236m from July 2009 to rank as easily the biggest debut of the franchise. 3D represented approximately 45% of the total screen count and generated around 61% of revenue.

“Harry Potter is truly a cultural phenomenon the world over,” Warner Bros president of international distribution Veronika Kwan-Rubinek said on Sunday. “Whether in German, French, Japanese, Russian, or any language, international audiences have embraced the Harry Potter films over the years, with the powerful finale punctuating just how special the property is. We congratulate everyone associated with the films on this monumental achievement.”

The $169.2m North American debut beat the previous record of $158.4m set by The Dark Knight in July 2008 and incorporates Friday’s [15] $92.1m – the biggest single day in domestic box office history – as well as the record $43.5m midnight launch. The worldwide IMAX haul of $23.5m also produced a record and includes $15.5m from North America.

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 grossed as follows in highlighted territories:

UK: £23.8m ($37.8m) with 4m admissions from 588 sites
Biggest three-day weekend gross
Biggest Friday result
Biggest Saturday result
Biggest single day result (Saturday)

Australia: A$25.5m ($27.1m) with 2m admissions from 754 screens
Biggest opening weekend
First time a film has reached A$20m in four days

Germany: €18.6m ($26m) with 2m admissions from 1,641 screens
Third biggest opening weekend
Biggest launch in franchise

France: €17.4m ($24.5m) with 2.4m admissions from 1,195 screens
Third biggest opening weekend

Japan: ¥1.8bn ($21.9m) with 1.2m admissions from 922 screens
Ninth biggest opening weekend

Russia: Rbl 550m ($19.5m) with 2.3m admissions from 1,563 screens
Biggest Warner Bros opening weekend
Third biggest opening of 2011

Mexico: Ps 186.1m ($15.8m) with 3.1m admissions from 2,126 screens
Second biggest opening weekend

Italy: €11.2m ($15.7m) with 1.4m admissions from 988 screens
Biggest opening for a US film

South Korea: KRW 11.9bn ($11.3m) with 1.4m admissions from 636 screens
Biggest opening weekend for a Warner Bros film

Brazil: R$17.m ($11m) from 990 screens
Biggest opening for a Warner Bros film
Biggest opening day (Friday)
Second biggest opening weekend

Spain: €6.2m ($8.7m) with 835k admissions from 870 screens
Second biggest opening for Warner Bros (Fri-Sun) behind Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire

Scandinavia: $18.5m
Biggest opening weekend

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is scheduled to launch in China on Aug 4.

• Transformers: Dark Of The Moon grossed a confirmed $37.5m through PPI from 8,475 venues in 53 countries for a $459.4m international running total. In only its third weekend, Paramount’s action sci-fi has overtaken both Transformers ($390.5m final gross) and Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen ($434.2m).

The film continued its record-breaking run in South Korea, adding $6m from 776 for $61.6m after three weekends. It grossed $3.3m from 560 in Germany for $31m and $3.2m from 257 in Australia for $35.4m. A further $3.3m from 476 in the UK boosted the running total there to $38.5m.

Elsewhere, Transformers: Dark Of The Moon has reached $25.7m in Mexico, $22.4m in France, $21.7m in Taiwan and $18.4m in Brazil.

PPI’s powerhouse summer has also seen Kung Fu Panda sweep past $400m and the DreamWorks Animation title currently stands at $422.3m following a $9.5m weekend from 4,578 sites in 45 countries. There were solid holds in Australia on $2m from 275 for $18.6m after four sessions, France on $1.9m from 1,015 for $22m after five, and the UK on $1.2m from 479 for $24.5m after six.

• Cars 2 brought in a further $12.4m from 28 territories through Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International to reach $146.6m. This is another highly promising run for a Pixar title given that it has opened in approximately 44% of all markets.

Thus far, the family sequel has taken $23.1m in Mexico, $19.2m in Russia, $18.8m in Australia, $18.1m in Brazil, $13.2m in Italy and $8.7m in Spain and $6.1m in Argentina. Cars 2 has reached $311.9m worldwide and pulls into the UK and South Korea next weekend.

Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides added $3.1m to stand at $791.4m with $800m overseas a distinct possibility now. The global tally has reached $1.028.9bn and the film is the sixth biggest worldwide release of all time.

• Sony Pictures Releasing International’s Bad Teacher added a confirmed $6.9m from 2,153 screens in 30 markets for $58.6m and stands at $14.5m in Germany after four weekends, $12m in the UK after five and $10.3m in Russia after two.

Family release Zookeeper brought in $5.8m in its second weekend from 1,552 in 17 for an early $16.5m running total. It has grossed $6.8m in Germany and $5.6m in Mexico.

• Universal’s comedy Bridesmaids grossed a confirmed $5.4m through UPI from 1,247 venues in 16 territories for $58.9m. Leading territories are the UK on $25.3m after four weekends and Australia on $24.4m after five.  There are 36 territories to go over the next few months, including Germany on Jul 21, France on Aug 10 and Spain on Aug 12.    

UPI top brass reported that the animated release Hop has reached $72.4m, Fast And Furious Five $393.7m and Beginners $1.4m.

• Fox International’s Mr Popper’s Penguins added a confirmed $7.1m from 2,501 screens in 38 markets for a $39.9m running total. Australia is the lead market on $10.8m after three weekends, followed by Brazil on $6.7m after three and Russia on $4m after two.

Rom-com Monte Carlo stands at $3.2m and X-Men: First Class is on $204.6m.