World box office September 23-25
| Rank | Film (distributor) | 3-day (world) | Cume (world) | 3-day (int’l) | Cume (int’l) | Territories |
| 1. | Avatar (2009) (Disney) | $30.5m | $30.5m | $20.5m | $20.5m | 51 |
| 2. | Don’t Worry Darling (Warner Bros) | $30m | $30m | $10.8m | $10.8m | 62 |
| 3. | The Woman King (Sony) | $12.2m | $37.6m | $1.1m | $1.3m | 3 |
| 4. | Ticket To Paradise (Universal) | $11.1m | $31m | $11.1m | $31m | 51 |
| 5. | Give Me Five (various) | $5.9m | $45.4m | $5.9m | $45.4m | 5 |
| 6. | DC League Of Super Pets (Warner Bros) | $5.8m | $185.8m | $4m | $95.8m | 73 |
| 7. | Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount) | $5.2m | $1.472bn | $3.6m | $760.2m | 54 |
| 8. | Barbarian (Disney) | $5m | $29.9m | $0.2m | $1.5m | 13 |
| 9. | Bullet Train (Sony) | $4.5m | $230.3m | $2.7m | $131.1m | 64 |
| 10. | Confidential Assignment 2: International (various) | $4.3m | $40.5m | $4.3m | $40.5m | 5 |
Credit: Comscore, click top right to expand. All figures are estimates.
‘Avatar’ rerelease sets up sequel launch
UPDATED: Disney, 20th Century Studios and cinema operators worldwide will have gained confidence in the upcoming release of Avatar: The Way Of Water thanks to the enthusiastic response to the rerelease of Avatar at the weekend.
The James Cameron blockbuster has topped the weekend global box office chart – just ahead of Warner Bros’ Don’t Worry Darling – thanks to a confirmed debut of $31.5m, comprising $10.4m in North America and $21.1m for 50 international territories.
The Avatar re-release opened at the top of the box office in both France (with a confirmed $3.2m – the top international market) and Italy ($1.6m) as well as in 13 smaller markets. It was the top non-local title in a further nine territories, including India and Hong Kong.
Behind France and Italy, four markets – Germany, UK/Ireland, South Korea and Mexico – tied for third place on the film internationally with an estimated $1.3m each.
Internationally, around 75% of box office came from 3D/4D/Imax formats – as a comparison, Disney’s Avengers: Endgame saw around 27% on these formats.
Imax delivered $6m of the Avatar rerelease’s $30.5m worldwide total, performing particularly strongly in Japan (38% of the country’s total from just 41 screens), South Korea (40% from 19 screens), Hong Kong (55% from five screens) and Taiwan (38% from 10 screens).
With this weekend’s number, Avatar widens its lead as the highest grossing Imax movie of all-time, now with $264m in lifetime Imax box office.
The Avatar rerelease opens in Spain this coming weekend. Yet to release are China and Russia.
‘Don’t Worry Darling’ lands a close second with $30.0m
UPDATED: With a production budget reported at $35m, Warner Bros’ Don’t Worry Darling looks for a profitable outcome by the end of its run, given a global box office debut estimated at $30.0m – a chart topping $19.2m in North America, plus $10.9m from 61 international markets.
This second feature from Olivia Wilde (Booksmart) as director performed strongest internationally in UK/Ireland – home to the film’s lead actors Florence Pugh and Harry Styles. The film topped the territory over the weekend period with a confirmed $3.2m, delivering a 42% share of the top five films. (Universal’s Ticket To Paradise grossed a slightly higher $3.2m in its debut session, but this was from six days.)
Next in the international territory table for the title are Mexico ($972,000, ranking in second place for the weekend behind Avatar), Italy ($971,000), France ($854,000) and Germany ($630,000).
The strong Italy result over a weekend when the country went to the polls is good news for Venice Film Festival, which can now be seen to have helped the territory launch, despite – or perhaps because of – the social-media-fuelled controversies that erupted there.
The remaining key markets for Don’t Worry Darling are Australia (where it arrives October 6), Japan (November 11) and South Korea (November 23).
‘The Woman King’ begins international run
Sony’s The Woman King places third in the global weekend chart with an estimated $12.2m – comprising $11.1m in North America and $1.1m from two international markets.
Gina Prince-Bythewood’s African historical action drama opened in Brazil at the weekend, topping the country’s box office with an estimated $1.0m. The launch follows the release a week earlier in Nigeria, which debuted with $170,000 – the second-highest opening number of the year in the populous African nation.
Cumulative totals for The Woman King are now $36.3m in North America, $1.3m for international, and $37.6m worldwide.
Viola Davis stars in the 1820s-set tale about the all-female warrior unit that protected the West African kingdom of Dahomey from rival attacks. The film is produced by TriStar Pictures and co-financed by Entertainment One (eOne).
Next to open The Woman King is France (this Wednesday, September 28), followed by Germany (October 6) and UK/Ireland (October 7, via eOne). Spain, Australia and Mexico all follow later in October, with Italy in early November.
‘Ticket To Paradise’ hits fresh international markets – reaches $31m
UPDATED: Universal’s Ticket To Paradise expanded slightly at the weekend from 46 to 51 international territories, including key new market UK/Ireland, where it grossed a confirmed $3.1m in six days. The release had been delayed from September 16 to Tuesday September 20 because of the royal funeral.
The Ol Parker-directed George Clooney/Julia Roberts romantic comedy generated a confirmed $11.3m at the weekend, taking the international (and global) total to $31.2m. The film has yet to land in North America.
The drop in holdover markets was a reasonably mild 33%, performing best in Australia ($1.9m for a $5.2m tally, and a 6% drop) and Germany ($1.3m, down 28% for $4m).
There are five key international markets yet to open: France, Italy and Mexico (all October 5-6), then South Korea (October 12) and Japan (November 3). The North America release is set for October 21.
Also for Universal, David Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream added $1.9m to reach $5.9m worldwide, comprising $3.4m for international and $2.5m for Neon’s North American release. The film opened in France (generating an $155,000) and expanded from its Imax platform to a full release in UK/Ireland ($408,000, taking the total there to $747,000). Netherlands added $144,000 (taking the total to $482,000), while Australia added $125,000 (resulting in a $525,000 total).
Finally, as already reported by Screen, Universal’s Jurassic World Dominion has crossed the $1bn barrier at the global box office – the third film to do so in the pandemic era, following Spider-Man: No Way Home ($1.92bn) and Top Gun: Maverick ($1.47bn). Universal’s Minions: The Rise Of Gru is the fourth-biggest film of the pandemic era, and has now reached $919m.
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