Ice Age 3 freezes Bruno out of international box office

Fox International executives, celebrating after the company became the first distributor last week to cross in 2009 ticket sales, said its animated champion grossed an estimated $98m from 12,049 screens in 102 markets for $327.1m.

The Media Rights Capital’s comedy Bruno starring Sacha Baron Cohen’s self-absorbed Austrian gay fashion reporter grossed roughly $25m. It took about $20m through eight Universal/UPI territories and the balance from four Sony and 16 Mandate International markets.

Meanwhile PPI is believed to have crossed the $1bn mark for the third consecutive year, buoyed by another strong session from Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen.

Ice Age 3’s only new market was China, where 338 3D screens generated $4.6m for second place behind Transformers 2. Elsewhere, the film climbed 8% in Germany on $1.2m from 1,219 for a $39.8m running total, added $8.1m in the UK from 526 after a 16% slide for $24.7m, and added $12.5m in France from 1,023 following a 17% drop for $38.9m.

Latin America has yielded several notable results. In both Uruguay and Peru Ice Age 3 is now the industry’s highest grossing film, on $2.9m and $675,452, respectively. In Ecuador it has become the first release to cross m in eight days and currently stands at $1.2m.

Transformers 2 grossed $32.5m from 9,165 sites in 63 territories for $364.5m. The action sequel took $4.6m in China from 1,009 for $55.7m and is the highest grossing English-language release in history, a distinction it holds in a further eight territories.

The film grossed $4.3m in South Korea from 761 for $33.3m, $2.9m in Australia from 248 for $27m, and $2.2m in the UK for $38.5m. India was the only new market and delivered $1.3m from 260 or roughly 50% ahead of the original Transformers film.

Aside from Transformers 2, Star Trek and DreamWorks Animation’s Monsters Vs Aliens have been key drivers, amassing $125m and $175.3m, respectively. Madagascar 2 took $108m of its $415m run in 2009, while Watchmen took $75m.

Sony Pictures Releasing International is believed to have sold roughly $900m in tickets this year, while Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International has amassed roughly $630m and UPI $600m. Warner Bros Pictures International should cross the $1bn threshold shortly after the release of Harry Potter And The Half-BloodPrince.

Warner Bros’ comedy The Hangover added $7.5m from 1,931 screens in 33 markets to raise the tally to $74.7m. The film added $1.5m in its second weekend in France from 255 screens after a 31% drop for $6.9m, and in its fifth weekend raised the tallies in the UK by $1.9m from 410 sites to $26.8m, and by $1.2m in Australia from 196 screens to $13.3m.

In other key running totals The Hangover has reached $5m in Russia after five, and $3.4m in Italy and $3m in Holland, both after four.

Bruno amassed $20m from 1,435 locations through Universal/UPI in eight Universal territories, led by an $8.1m (£5m) number one debut in the UK in 457 sites that produced the biggest opening Friday for an 18-rated film and the biggest 18 comedy weekend launch, and the second biggest 18-rated launch weekend behind Hannibal. The launch took 35% market share and trailed that of Borat, which earned a 15 rating in the UK, by 8%.

Elsewhere, Bruno took $6.1m (AUD $7.7m) from 22 sites in Australia for 28% market share and the second biggest comedy launch behind Sex And The City as well as Universal’s second biggest debut behind Fast &Furious on AUD $7.9m in April. Germany opened 12% bigger than Borat on $2.9m from 453 sites; Austria finished the weekend 120% ahead of Borat on $650,000 from 76; and Belgium produced $780,000 from 49 sites for second place to Ice Age 3.

Bruno took $900,000 from 88 sites in the Netherlands; $600,000 from 49 in New Zealand; and $106,000 from 45 in South Africa.

The comedy grossed $3.8m from 450 screens in 16 Mandate International territories including German-speaking Switzerland, and $1.3m from 375 screens in three Sony Pictures Releasing International markets. Spain grossed $900,000 from 307 in third place through Sony, while Greece took $225,000 from 30 in second and Portugal grossed $140,000 in third from 38.

There are 30 territories to go through Mandate International and Sony, including France on July 22 through Sony.

• Public Enemies added $8m from 1,645 venues in 17 territories in its second overseas weekend, raising the tally to $16.7m. There are 47 territories to go. The gangster drama opened well in France in second place on $3.8m from 471 sites, and ranks fifth in the UK after $1.8m from 458 raised the running total to $7.6m. State Of Play stands at $45.9m.
  
• The Proposal added $7m through Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International from 1,818 sites in 19 territories for $40.7m. The romantic comedy ranked second in Spain after earning $1.4m from 240 and second in Brazil following a $1.2m debut on 180 screens for Sandra Bullock’s best opening.
  
  In the second weekend The Proposal added m in Australia from 241 sites for $10.2m and ranks as the top romantic comedy of the year. Mexico has generated $5.5m after four weekends while in South Africa, Disney recorded its sixth biggest launch on $395,000 from 50 screens. Russia stands at $7m.
  
• Hannah Montana The Movie added $2.8m from 1,826 screens from 26 territories for $64.4m. Pixar’s Up stands at $52.7m from the early stages and the next major launch will be on July 30 when the film ventures
  
• Terminator Salvation added $2.2m through Sony from 2,750 screens in 59 markets for $233.3m including non-Sony territories. Sony’s portion is $207.1m.
  
• Angels & Demons added $1.5m from 1,655 screens in 60 markets for $345.5m, and
  
• Year One stands at $8.7m from the early stages.
• Knowing opened in Japan in third place on $3m through Summit International. Overall the thriller added $3.2m from 451 screens in ten territories for an $86.8m internaitonal running total.