With a huge box office haul looking likely for the animated musical sequel, Frozen II opens this weekend in 36 international markets day and date with its launch in North America.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International releases the film - a follow-up to Disney’s 2013 fairy tale-based original about Elsa, Anna and their friends - in the UK, Spain, Mexico, Korea, Japan, Germany, France, China and more than two dozen other markets this weekend, with openings in Italy, Russia and Australia coming a week later.
Frozen II once again has Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck directing, with Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Josh Gad and Jonathan Groff back heading the voice cast and Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez again providing songs.
In North America, the sequel is expected to open with more than $100m at the box office. In the international marketplace it could approach, or even beat, the $123.6m that Disney’s Pixar sequel Toy Story 4 took over its June opening weekend in 37 markets outside the US and Canada.
The original Frozen rolled out a little more gradually for the holiday season six years ago but ended up with a gross of $873.5m internationally, the biggest ever for an animated film. It also became the highest grossing animated film worldwide, with a total of $1.27bn, and won the animated feature Oscar.
Among the studio’s current releases, Disney’s Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil has now reached $358m at the international box office with all territories opened, Terminator: Dark Fate $133.2m and Fox title Ford v Ferrari $30.4m.
Not surprisingly, other studios are giving Frozen II a wide birth in the international marketplace, with only scattered openings set for the weekend.
Warner Bros opens Dr Sleep, currently on $30.1m internationally, in Germany on Thursday (November 21) and The Good Liar, with $4.3m so far outside North America, in Brazil on the same day. Motherless Brooklyn opens in Mexico on Friday (November 21).
Warner reported that its global smash Joker has now reached $699m internationally and $1.02bn worldwide.
Universal Pictures International opens Harriet in the UK and local title Historias De Nuestro Cine in Spain on Friday, as well as Official Secrets in Australia and local offering Cetto C’e in Italy on Thursday.
The studio reported international totals to date of $97.6m for Abominable, $63.1m from Universal markets only for The Addams Family, $87.7m for Downton Abbey and $16.7m for Last Christmas.
Independent crime drama 21 Bridges, with Chadwick Boseman starring, opens this weekend in 24 international markets concurrently with its North American debut. STX is releasing the film in 409 locations in the UK on Friday and other releases include Australia on Thursday.
Sony’s Zombieland: Double Tap arrives in Japan, its final market, this weekend with $41.1m from international so far. Sony’s Charlie’s Angels has reached $24.6m.
Paramount reported international takes to date of $57.7m for Dora And The Lost City Of Gold, $89.7m for Gemini Man and $5.2m for Playing With Fire.
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