MIB3 corrals $132m at international box office

The global opening total is expected to top $200m by the time grosses for Monday’s Memorial Day US holiday are added in.

The third installment of Sony’s action comedy franchise was released through Sony Pictures Releasing International (SPRI) on 22,435 screens in 103 international markets and opened at number one in 101 of those territories..

It was in fast expanding new markets and Asia that the film did best, with European results being affected by a sudden outbreak of sunny weather.

China was the biggest individual territory, with an estimated gross of $20.6m from 6,073, topping the recent opening in the market of The Avengers and making the film Hollywood’s seventh biggest opener ever in China. Russia came a close second with $18.8m from 1,547 screens, representing a market share of 86%.

Korea followed with $8.5m from 950 screens and Japan with $8m from 980. Mexico produced $5.9m from 1,750, Germany $5.7m from 992 and France $5.6m from 889. Australia contributed $5.3m from 593, Brazil $5m from 842 and the UK $5m from 1,242.

IMAX screens produced $6.1m of the international total and the giant screen company is projecting that by the end of Monday Men in Black 3 will have taken $12.5m globally from IMAX locations, a new Memorial Day weekend record.

The opening puts the 3D sequel, which reportedly cost $250m to produce, on course to improve on the international performance of Men in Black 2, which managed $251.4m internationally in 2002. The original Men in Black took $338.7m outside North America in 1997.

Previous international champion The Avengers, from Marvel Studios, took an estimated $26.3m this weekend from 54 territories representing about 95% of the international market. That brought the film’s international total to $781.6m, making it the fourth biggest international performer of all time, just ahead of Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

Dark Shadows, from Warner Bros Pictures International, took an estimated $13.1m this weekend, from 5,100 screens in 53 markets, for an international total to date of $106.6m. The horror comedy dropped only 38% over its second weekend in Japan, taking $3.2m from 572 screens, for a total in the market of $13m.

The Dictator, from Paramount Pictures International (PPI), grossed $11.8m in its second weekend (53% down from the first weekend) from 2,928 locations in 29 international markets, for an international total so far of $50.3m.

The best result came from Australia, where the comedy was down 48% to $2.6m from 231 locations, for a local total to date of $9.7m. The UK heat wave led to a 66% drop in that territory, to $1.8m from 499 engagements, for a local total of $12.1m.

Universal’s American Pie: Reunion grossed an estimated $3.3m from 3,500 locations in 40 territories through UPI, for an international total so far of $165.5m.

Also from UPI, Battleship added an estimated $2.9m from 5,800 dates in 49 territories, bringing its international total to $232.7m; The Five-Year Engagement took an estimated $1m from 380 dates in seven territories for a total of $7.7m; and Hanni & Nanni 2 grossed an estimated $400,000 from 630 dates in Germany (its home market), Austria and Switzerland for a total of $2.1m.

UPI opened Moonrise Kingdom in the UK and Ireland and took an estimated $400,000 from 163 dates, for seventh place in the local top ten.

Fox International’s Best Exotic Marigold Hotel crossed the $80m mark internationally, earning $853,000 from 557 screens in 14 markets. And the studio’s The Descendants took $386,000 in Japan, bringing the film’s international total to $93m.

Fox’s Titanic 3D added $320,000 for an international total of $286m, which includes $145m from China.