Hangover, Panda sequels score big at international box office

The Hangover Part II and Kung Fu Panda 2 romped into the international marketplace this weekend, taking $60.2m and $57m respectively. Neither, though, could come close to the $122.8m second weekend international take of Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

Warner Bros Picture International (WBPI) launched raunchy comedy sequel The Hangover Part II, produced by the studio with Legendary Pictures, on 5,190 screens in 40 international markets. The confirmed take of $60.2m opening (representing 7.4m admissions) was 185% bigger than the opening of the original film in the same markets, said WBPI.

The $190.2m international total achieved by the 2009 original was surprisingly large for an R-rated comedy and WBPI is giving the sequel - which opened in North America this weekend with a record-breaking $86.5m - a big international push.

Part II opened top in the UK with a massive $16.7m from 920 screens, the biggest opening ever in the market for a US comedy, said WBPI, and the biggest opening of any kind this year, beating the high achieved over four days last weekend by fourth Pirates film On Stranger Tides. The sequel opened 183% bigger than the original in the territory.

Part II also knocked Pirates 4 off the top spot in Australia, taking $11.9m (921,000 admissions) from 424 screens, the biggest opening ever in the territory for an MA-rated (under 15 not permitted) release. The opening was 12% bigger than the opening of Pirates 4 and 224% bigger than that of the original film.

In France, Part II generated an estimated $5.8m (approximately 662,000 admissions) from 445 screens, 154% higher on an admissions basis than the opening of the original.

Italy produced an estimated $4.7m (554,000 admissions) from 566 screens, five times higher than the original film; Mexico opened 88% higher than the original, with $3.2m (784,000 admissions) from 849 screens; and Brazil delivered an estimated $2.7m (411,000 admissions) from 325 screens, more than double the opening take of the original.

Kung Fu Panda 2 - which also opened in North America this weekend, grossing $48m over three days - took its weekend tally of $57m from 8,023 locations in 11 international markets.

The DreamWorks Animation 3D sequel, distributed by Paramount/PPI, opened top in nine of its markets, often out-performing the original film, which grossed $416.3m (66% of its global total) internationally in 2008.

In China, Panda 2 grossed $18.5mil from 5,540 positions on its Saturday opening day, the all-time highest debut by a foreign film based on early estimates, according to PPI, and 50% better than the record set last weekend by Pirates 4.

Panda 2 took $15m from 700 locations in Russia, 70% more than the first film’s opening (excluding previews of $1.3m) and the third highest opening in the market for an animated film.

In Korea Panda 2 started with $13m from 1,080 situations, the biggest opening this year in the market, the biggest opening ever for an animated film and 60% better than the opening of the original.

In Taiwan the sequel opened with $1.2m from 59 positions, 11% up on the original film.

The sequel also became the biggest opening animation ever in Singapore, where it took $2.3m from 25 locales, 40% better than the original; the Philippines, where it garnered $1.9m from 114 positions, 69% better than the original; Malaysia, with $1.4m from 89 positions, 24% up on the original; Thailand, with $959,000 from 45 locales, 123% better than the original; and India, with $885,000 from 120 positions.

Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides was 48% down from its massive international opening last weekend, said distributor Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International (WDSMPI), its $122.8m taking the film’s international total so far to $470.8m, already surpassing the $352.9m total international gross of the first film in the franchise.

Globally, Pirates 4 reached $623.7m, matching the record for passing the $600m mark in 12 days set in 2007 by Pirates 3.

In Japan, Pirates 4 was down a mere 10% in its second weekend, grossing $13.3m for a total in the market so far of $43.8m.

Other second weekend drops were in the 35%-60% range, with Germany producing a gross of $11.8m, for a territory total of $35.8m; Russia delivering $10.8m, for a $49.9m total; China $10.0m, for a $43.9m total; the UK $7.1m, for a $31.4m total; France $7.1m, for a $24.7m total; Australia $5.4m, for an $18.4m total; Mexico $5.2m, for an $18.5m total; Brazil $4.9m, for a $16.9m total; and Korea $4.6m, for a total of $19.8m.

Trailing the three international leaders by a considerable distance but still maintaining some power, Fast Five grossed an estimated $13.3m from 7,700 dates in 61 territories this weekend, raising its international total to $346m.

Distributor Universal/UPI reported a drop of 40% in China, where the action sequel took $2.2m from 1,000 dates, for a total of $24.7m. The take in Brazil was down 46% to $1.3m from 270 dates, for a total of $18.4m.

In Mexico Fast Five took $ 1.1m from 473 dates, for a total of $23.7m; in Germany it earned $1.1m from 517 dates, for a $25.3m total; in France it grossed $1m from 488 dates, for a $19.4m total; and in the UK it managed $520,000 from 315 dates, for a total of $29.8m.

Fox International’s Rio grossed a strong $3.8m from 4,057 screens in 37 markets. With small drops in several markets and increases in a couple, the animated film reached $321.9m internationally.

Fox’s Water for Elephants earned $3.1m from 2,508 screens in 41 markets for an international total of $50.7m and Black Swan had another good weekend in Japan, dropping only 5% to gross $2.1m from 327 screens.

The studio’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules opened well in the UK, taking $2.3m from 444 screens, more than double the opening take of the original Wimpy Kid. The sequel’s international total now stands $9.1m.

Universal/UPI reported an estimated $2.6m from 428 dates in 11 territories for Adjustment Bureau, bringing the film’s international total to $56.9m. The film opened third in Japan with an estimated $2.3m from 218 dates.

Universal’s Hop took an estimated $500,000 from 830 dates in 40 territories for an international total of $65.4m; Paul took $200,000 from 266 dates in 15 territories for an international total of $52.5m; and documentary Senna had a limited release in Spain, opening with $24,000 from 11 dates.

Sony Pictures Releasing International (SPRI) opened Hanna in Germany and the film came third on the local chart with $1m from 254 screens. Overall, the film took $1.6m this weekend from 330 screens in six markets. In the UK, where UPI is distributing, Hanna grossed an estimated $236,000 from 150 dates, for a territory total of $5.7m.

SPRI’s Priest took $1.6m this weekend from 1,845 screens in 50 markets.