Warner pushes past $1bn international mark with Potter at $405m

At the end of its second weekend, Harry Potter 6 has an international cume of $405.3m.

Also helping Warner is surprise summer hit The Hangover, which will hit the $100m on Monday; that film will still have some life as Germany opens this week and Spain and Latin America opening in August.

Also pushing Warner towards the billion earlier in 2009 were the rollouts of Yes Man, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button and Gran Torino.

“With the fantastic slate of films so far, and the hard work of our international teams and partners, 2009 is turning into a spectacular year for us,” said Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, President, Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures International. Fourth-quarter releases will include Steven Soderbergh’s The Informant (starring Matt Damon), Spike Jonze’s Where The Wild Things Are, and Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes. In 2007, WBPI had a record-setting international gross across all the studios, of $2.24 billion.

The sixth film in the Potter franchise holds the record for the highest-grossing international opening with $236m, and became one of the fastest films to break the $300m mark — within eight days of release.

This weekend’s estimated gross of $84.4m in 64 markets included the highest Potter opening in Poland ($2m), a new Warner record in Argentina of $1.9m, and the UK adding $8.2m for a new cume of $52.8m, making Potter the top film of 2009 in the Hogwarts-home territory.

Also, The Hangover earned another $10.2m this weekend in 37 territories, for a new international cume of $98.5; Germany’s launch contributed $4.3m this weekend.

Amongst the other studios, Fox’s Ice Age 3 has now crossed the $500m mark after $41m this weekend pushed it to $505.2m. That breaks down into $300m+ in Europe alone and $100+ in Latin America (in the latter, the first film to cross that mark since Titanic). Records have been set in territories including Russia and Mexico.

Ice Age 3’s weekend highlights included $5.4m in Germany, $5.2m in France, $3m in Brazil and $3.5m in the UK; although Japan had a mild opening with $427,732. In China, the film is Fox’s third-highest performer ever, at number two with $2.3m for a new cume of almost $16m.

After opening in India with $435,332, Night At The Museum 2 now has an international cume of $212.1m.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Releasing International’s G-Force not only dominated North America, but in its sole international opening in Chile, it made $386,000 on 42 screens — which represents an opening five times better than similar Alvin And The Chipmunks. Next weekend, the guinea pigs will hit 14 new territories, including Belgium, The Netherlands, Argentina, South Africa, Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela and the UK.

Also, Bolt will finally strike in the major market of Japan, having already collected a box-office total of $184.4m.

Romantic comedy The Proposal earned $5.1m in its UK launch (number two behind Potter and setting a new opening record for Bullock in the UK), contributing to its international take of $8.2m in 24 territories (for a new cume of $61.1m).

Bullock is also popular in Australia, with a new cumulative tally of $12.4m and the latest Spanish cume is $3.9m. WDSMPRI will expand the romcom into German-speaking Europe, the Philippines and Malaysia next week.

Also for Disney, animated Up set a new Pixar record in Israel, taking $403,000 from 49 screens. Next weekend, the Cannes opener will expand to France, Spain, Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan.

Universal International Pictures opened Michael Mann’s John Dillinger biopic Public Enemies, starring Johnny Depp, in 13 new markets this weekend. Public Enemies grossed a $106m in 34 territories, for a new international tally of $37m.

Mann scored his biggest opening in Russia, where the film grossed $2.4m, behind only Potter. Another strong new territory was Brazil, with $900,000 on 210 screens. In notable holdover territories, France contributed $1.5m, Mexico added $340,000. Universal still has 30 territories to open on the film, including Australia on July 30 and Germany and Austria on August 6 and 7.

Bruno made $6.5m in 33 markets, for a new international cume of $56m; the UK’s 17-day total stands at $21.4m. Sony’s territories for Bruno made $1.3m on 555 screens in four markets (a French opening adding $1.1m) for a new cume of $4.3m. (Figures from Mandate International’s Bruno international territories weren’t available as of press time.)

For Paramount Pictures International, Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen took an estimated $7.3m internationally for the weekend, for a new estimated cume of $413.4m. Particularly strong holdover territories include Australia, where the film grossed $924,000 in its fifth weekend and passed $30m locally. The UK also added $650,000 for a new cume of $42.5m.

Star Trek made just $425,0000 at 307 international screens for a new cume of $254m. Paramount/Nickelodeon’s Imagine That starring Eddie Murphy made an estimated $165,000 for a new cume of $15.5m.

DreamWorks Animation’s Monsters vs. Aliens is now at a cume of $197.8 after adding $127,000 this weekend at 210 screens.

Finally, at Sony Pictures Releasing International action remake The Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3 earned 2.8m in 14 markets for a new cume of $9.1m. In its Spanish opening, the film was top of the box office (beating Harry Potter 6) and made $2.1m on 359 screens. That subway train will keep running this weekend with new moves into the UK, France, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Kenya, Lithuania, French-speaking Switzerland, Thailand, and Turkey.

Terminator Salvation has now made a cume of $237.9m (including non-SPRI territories), with a new $400,000 this weekend. The Christian Bale-starrer expands into Mexico this weekend.