Life Of Pi leads int’l session on $33m, Hobbit crosses $600m

Life Of Pi grossed $4.4m in its second weekend in Russia from 1,575 to stay top and reach $25m after two weekends. It added $3.9m from 552 in Australia, where it also held on to number one and has amassed $15.2m after two sessions. A further $3.8m from 673 in the UK pushed the tally to $35.5m after four for second place behind the Les Misérables debut.

Fox International Productions scored two number one debuts as wunderkind Matthias Schweighofer’s Break Up Man opened in Germany on $5m from 450 screens, while FoxStar’s Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola delivered the highest launch for a Vishal Bhardwaj film on $5.5m from 1,850. Overall it earned $6.5m from 2,100 screens in nine markets.

Parental Guidance added $4.6m from 1,965 screens in 29 markets, for $23.1m. Taken 2 arrived in Japan on $1.7m from 288 to push the running total to $234.1m from Fox and EuropaCorp markets. Fox markets account for $166.4m.

• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey brought in $26.1m from 63 markets to reach $608m through Warner Bros Pictures International.

In its third weekend in Australia the New Line/MGM/Warner Bros fantasy tale produced $3.4m from 512 screens for $36m. Germany has delivered $79.8m, the UK $78.4m and the UK $42.1m.

The film is expected to open in China at the end of February although WBPI executives are still awaiting confirmation of the exact date.

Gangster Squad starring Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone launched well internationally and grossed $9.1m from 1,484 screens in 19 markets.

The crime thriller arrived in third place in the UK On $3.4m from 452 including previews and debuted in Australia on $2.4m from 205 in a tight contest for third place with Les Misérables.

• Speaking of the Working Title musical, Universal Pictures International reported that Les Misérables crossed $200m worldwide on Friday [11] and scored a $13.4m number one launch in the UK in 589 sites to set a string of records. This was Universal’s third biggest debut in the UK and set new marks for a Working Title film as well as for Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Tom Hooper. 

The international weekend haul of $25.5m from 22 territories pushed the highly promising running total to $115.1m and the global tally to $234.3m. Les Misérables delivered the biggest launch for a musical in New Zealand on $625,000 from 81 and remained the biggest Hollywood release in Japan, where $3m from 328 propelled the running total to $31.8m after 24 days.

Universal’s biggest opening of all time in South Korea 20 days ago continues to bear fruit – the film currently stands at $33.1m.

Universal holds rights to Zero Dark Thirty in the UK, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden and South Africa and has so far released the thriller procedural in Spain. It added $1.2m from 231 to reach $3.1m after 10 days.

The next release is Italian-speaking Switzerland on Jan 10 followed by France and French-speaking Switzerland on Jan 23.  It opens in the UK on Jan 25 and Germany on Jan 31.

Pitch Perfect stands at $40.4m, Anna Karenina $31.4m and ParaNorman $47.6m.

• Paramount Pictures International’s thriller Jack Reacher grossed $17.6m from 57 countries as the tally climbed to $80.4m. The Tom Cruise vehicle opened in Russia on $3m from 60 sites, arrived in Spain on $1.5m from 344 and debuted on $1m in Brazil from 208. It added $1.8m in Australia from 213 for $6.2m.

DreamWorks Animation’s Rise Of The Guardians took $3.9m from 54 for $187.7m.

• Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International reported that Oscar nominee Wreck-It Ralph grossed $11.6m over the weekend from 69 territories to boost the running total from approximately 76% of the international footprint to $156.9m.
• Sony/MGM/Eon’s James Bond juggernaut Skyfall added $4m from 50 markets for an overall $733.5m running total, of which $643.5m comes from Sony Pictures Releasing International and the $90m balance from MGM territories.