Inglourious Basterds stays top overseas, nears $100m

Meanwhile Fox International’sIce Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs is on the cusp of becoming the third biggest overseas film in history, while Warner Bros Pictures International’s Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince is the third biggest film worldwide in the franchise and became the first in the series to cross £50m in the UK after Chamber Of Secrets in 2002.

• Inglourious Basterds is active in 2,946 sites in 35 territories and dropped only 27% from last weekend as it maintained its strong run. Combined with the $91m North American gross through The Weinstein Company, the film has raced to a $174.3m global running total.

It opened top in Finland on $355,000 from 28 and Argentina on $240,000 from 45, and also delivered number one launches in Croatia and Romania. Such has been the strength of audience reception across Europe, in fact, that after 18 days Inglourious Basterds has become Tarantino’s highest grossing film in Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Greece, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine.

In a string of impressive third weekend holds the film added $3.2m in Germany from 449 after a 2% drop for $14.1m, and boosted the tally in France, where it has ranked number one since it opened, by $2.7m from 234 after a 36% slide for $16.1m.

Christoph Waltz, Brad Pitt and co added a further $1.3m from 205 in Australia after sliding 23% for $7.5m, and produced $1.2m in the UK from 443 following a 42% tumble for $14m. They held firm at number one in the Netherlands on $950,000 from at 79 after a 17% slide for $2.7m.

A final tally of well over $100m is assured given that there are 26 territories to go over the next three months, including Poland next weekend. The film opens in Israel on September 17, Spain on September 18, Italy on October 2, Brazil and Mexico on October 9, South Korea on October 29 and Japan on November 20.

• Universal’s Public Enemies is also on course to join the $100m club after it added $2m from 2,244 venues in 41 territories for $95m. The gangster film held firm in fifth place in Spain as $680,000 from 357 locations following a 34% drop raised the tally to $9.1m after four weekends. Germany has produced $6.6m and there are three territories to go including Italy on November 6 and Japan on December 12.

Funny People added $1.4m from 619 in five for an early $6m and the comedy has grossed $4.1m in the UK after two weekends. Judd Apatow’s film opens in Australia next weekend.

Universal/UPI opened the drama The Soloist in limited released in Australia, New Zealand and Greece, reporting $450,000 from all three. Universal’s total for its four territories including Japan stands at $1m and the film will launch in the UK and Mexico on September 25.

• In its tenth weekend of release Fox International’s Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs overtook Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End to become the fourth biggest overseas release since records began. The animated hit stands at $657.5m after grossing a further $10.8m this weekend from approximately 5,000 screens in 39 markets.

It will climb to number three in the pantheon by next weekend as it currently trails Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone’s $658.9m by a mere $1.4m. The top two titles remain Fox International’s Titanic on $1.24bn and New Line International’s The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King on $742m.

Ice Age 3 continued to do a roaring trade in its second weekend in Italy, taking $7.3m from 911 screens after a 31% drop from its record-breaking animated opening for $25.3m. The film has grossed $77.9m in Germany, $69m in France, $56.6m in the UK, and $41.8m in Mexico.

• Family title Aliens In The Attic added $2.6m from roughly 1,600 screens in 16 markets for $20.2m, while the romantic comedy 500 Days Of Summer begins its international roll-out with a solid number three launch in the UK on $2m.
  
  
• The Russian adventure comedy High Security Vacations added $2.8m from 1,035 screens in Russia for $14.1m.
  
  
• Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International’s Pixar release Up added $8.6m from 2,576 screens in 32 territories for $168.9m, powered by $2m from 179 theatres in Australia where the film is playing in 40% of the nation and will reach nationwide status by September 17.

Up took $1.6m in Brazil from 250 theatres and stayed in the top five in its sixth weekend in France as $1.6m from 270 raised the running total to $34.7m, which is roughly 30% higher than the entire run of Wall-E.

The film has been a storming success in Spain and in its sixth weekend ranked second after $1.1m from 475 raised the tally to $30.4m. Up is ahead of Ice Age 3 as the biggest animated release of the calendar year to date and is the second biggest Pixar release in Spain behind Finding Nemo.

• The Proposal added $5.6m from 1,879 locations in 40 territories for an excellent $124.7m with France and Japan still waiting in the wings. The romantic comedy added $1.7m in Italy from 220 and stands at $167.8m in Germany after six weekends. There was a good launch in South Korea, too, as the film took $953,000 from 185 theatres. The Proposal opened in Taiwan on $415,000 from 65.
  
  
• G-Force delivered a further $5.4m from 2,899 theatres in 29 countries for $76.6m and added $1.1m in Russia from 435 for $9.3m after three. It opened in Singapore on 558,000 from 65 and stands at $21.5m in the UK after six.

Warner Bros Pictures International’s (WBPI) comedy hit The Hangover grossed a further $5.2m from approximately 2,500 screens in 54 territories for $168.3m.

• Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince is the third biggest worldwide release in the franchise after it added $4.4m from almost 3,800 screens in 58 markets for a $619.6m international and $916.4m global running total. In the UK, the film has crossed the £50m box office mark, which is the first time a film in the franchise has done this since Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets in 2002.
  
• Horror title The Final Destination, which stayed top in its second weekend in North America, grossed $15.5m from 18 WBPI and non-WBPI territories in release to reach $32.5m. 

It launched in first place in Germany on $4m from 414 screens and approximately 68% of this result came from 3D screens. There was a superb $1.3m number one launch in Poland on 74 screens, all 3D. The film opened top in Austria, too, where 84% of the $910,000 haul from 89 screens came from 3D venues. The film opened in second place in Holland on $691,000 from 57 and roughly 79% of the box office came from 3D screens. All three launches included previews.

• Sony Pictures Releasing International’s (SPRI) The Taking Of Pelham 123 added $6.4m from 2,020 screens in 42 markets for a $48.5m running total. The thriller remake launched in second place in Japan on $2.3m from 310 and opened in Russia on $750,000 from 250 for an unconfirmed rank. It opened in Brazil in third place on $700,000 from 182 screens and debuted in first place in Hong Kong on $310,000 from 32.
  
  
• The Ugly Truth stands at $28.5m following a $4.1m weekend haul from 1,380 screens in 19 markets. Mexico provided the highlight as the comedy launched at number one on $820,000 from 301.
  
• The sci-fi action release District 9 grossed $4.6m from 1,000 screens in 15 SPRI markets for $21.6m. Factoring in non-SPRI markets, the cumulative tally rises to $24.8m. The big launch was the UK, where District 9 opened top on $3.6m from 543. The film has amassed $5.7m in Australia after four weekends, $600,000 in South Africa after two, and $1.3m in New Zealand after four.
  
  
• In its first overseas forays, the drama Julie & Julia took $1.2m from 376 screens in three markets, recording $1m in Germany from 302 in seventh place, $100,000 in Austria from 47 in sixth, and $125,000 in German-speaking Switzerland from 27 for an unconfirmed rank.
  
• Sony’s comedy Year One stands at $14.3m after $1.1m from 490 screens in 15 markets and has reached $2.6m in Spain after two weekends.
  

Paramount/PPI’s G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra added $3.5m from 4,668 locations in 56 territories and after five weekends stands at $140m.