World box office October 7-9
| Rank | Film (distributor) | 3-day (world) | Cume (world) | 3-day (int’l) | Cume (int’l) | Territories |
| 1. | Smile (Paramount) | $35.1m | $89.9m | $17.5m | $40m | 62 |
| 2. | Home Coming (various) | $21.4m | $161m | $21.4m | $161m | 1 |
| 3. | Lyle Lyle Crocodile (Sony) | $11.5m | $11.5m | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| 4. | The Woman King (Sony) | $10.7m | $64.1m | $5.4m | $10m | 35 |
| 5. | Ticket To Paradise (Universal) | $10.6m | $60.6m | $10.6m | $60.6m | 74 |
| 6. | Amsterdam (Disney) | $10m | $10m | $3.5m | $3.5m | 31 |
| 7. | Don’t Worry Darling (Warner Bros) | $9.6m | $69.3m | $6.1m | $30.8m | 67 |
| 8. | Avatar (2009) (Disney) | $6.5m | $71.9m | $3.9m | $48.6m | 52 |
| 9. | Novembre (Studiocanal) | $3.9m | $3.9m | $3.9m | $3.9m | 1 |
| 10. | DC League Of Super Pets (Warner Bros) | $3.1m | $198.5m | $2.6m | $106m | 71 |
Credit: Comscore, click top right to expand. All figures are estimates.
Word-of-mouth propels ‘Smile’ to global success
UPDATED: Paramount’s horror film Smile has barely dipped from its $37.3m global debut thanks to a strong hold in North America and an actual increase in international markets.
The film’s second weekend of release (October 7-9) delivered an estimated $17.6m in North America (down 22%) and a confirmed $19.1m for international (up 31%), combining for an estimated $36.7m worldwide – and moving up to the top of global box office chart.
Outside North America where the international running total stands at $41.6m, Smile expanded slightly from 58 to 61 territories, opening in South Korea with $375,000. But its success is primarily down to the performance in holdover markets, including Mexico, UK/Ireland and Germany – all with a confirmed $1.9m, and with rises in the 16-24% range for the first two (topping the respective local charts), and a doubling of box office in the case of the latter.
France delivered a confirmed $1.6m (up 19%) and Australia $1m (up 42%). Strong audience sentiment is evidently behind the film’s sustained success.
Total for Smile after two weekends of play is a handy $89.9m. Given a production budget reported at $17.5m, the film looks headed for a profitable outcome, even when factoring in marketing costs and revenue shares with cinema operators.
Recent horror successes from US studios include Universal Pictures’ The Black Phone, which has reached $159.6m worldwide, and the same studio’s genre-straddling Nope, now at $170.8m. Paramount will now be aiming Smile to hit those heights.
‘Lyle, Lyle Crocodile’ is top new release, with $11.5m
With Chinese film Home Coming sliding to second place in the global chart, thanks to second-weekend takings of $21.4m, Sony’s release of Lyle, Lyle Crocodile was good for third place.
The family comedy debuted in North America with an estimated $11.5m – landing in second place in the territory’s chart behind Smile, and ahead of rival new release Amsterdam. Sony did not report box office for any early international territories, and the international rollout picks up steam with UK/Ireland on October 14 (following previews over the weekend just ended), adding Germany and Spain a week later.
Javier Bardem leads the cast in the tale of a singing crocodile – based on the books by Bernard Waber.
International expansion boosts ‘The Woman King’
TrisStar Pictures’ The Woman King increased its footprint at the weekend – expanding from 13 to 34 international markets, and moving up from sixth to fourth place in the global box office chart.
The West Africa historical action drama grossed an estimated $5.4m for international, $5.3m in North America, and $10.7m combined. Global total is now $64.1m.
Among new markets, UK/Ireland (distributed by co-financier eOne) led the way with an estimated $1.5m including previews. The Middle East debuted with $1.3m as a region.
Holdover markets fell just 21%, led by Brazil and France.
Mexico welcomes The Woman King this week (on October 13) with other key markets Australia, Spain and Italy all to follow. Sony executives declined to provide updates on Monday.
‘Ticket To Paradise’ hits $61m – with North America still to come
UPDATED: Universal’s Ticket To Paradise likewise enjoyed an international expansion, increasing from 59 to 74 markets, and holding steady in fifth place in the global chart. Confirmed international box office for the weekend was $10.7m, taking the total to $60.7m. North America has yet to release the George Clooney/Julia Roberts romantic comedy.
Among new releasing territories, France ($1m) led ahead of Mexico ($953,000), while in Italy confirmed takings of $814,000 including previews saw Ticket To Paradise top the country’s box office chart.
UK/Ireland ($949,000 for a $7.4m running total) led the holdover markets, ahead of Germany ($879,000 for $7.4m) and Australia ($816,000 for $8.6m). Those three markets lead on cumulative totals.
With $60.7m so far, Ticket To Paradise is ahead of 2022 romantic comedy adventure The Lost City at the same stage of release, and has opened in the top spot in 48 of its 74 markets to date. It’s also the biggest romantic comedy internationally starring two leads who are both aged 50-plus since Universal’s own It’s Complicated in 2009.
Ticket To Paradise arrives in North America on October 21.
‘Amsterdam’ begins with so-so $10m
Disney’s release of New Regency’s Amsterdam landed in third place in North America with a relatively soft estimated $6.5m, and also picked up $3.5m in 30 international markets.
Disney has yet to provide a breakdown on the international, but box office gatherer Numero reported Aus$980,000 ($620,000) for Australia. UK/Ireland is believed to be around $700,000.
Director David O Russell returns to the big screen for the first time since 2015’s Joy. The starry cast is led by Christian Bale, John David Washington and Margot Robbie, with Anya Taylor-Joy, Rami Malek and Robert De Niro leading a strong line-up in supporting.
Russell reached $251.2m worldwide with American Hustle in 2013, and $236.4m with Silver Linings Playbook in 2012.
Also for Disney, the Avatar rerelease added another estimated $6.5m globally, taking the total to $71.9m.
Terror attack thriller ‘Novembre’ tops French chart
Studiocanal’s release of thriller Novembre – five days in the heart of the French anti-terrorism services during the hunt for suspects in the November 2015 attacks in Paris – has topped the French box office with a powerful estimated $3.9m.
The total was enough to land Novembre ninth place in Comscore’s global top 10 box office chart.
Jean Dujardin leads the cast in the film, with Anais Demoustier, Sandrine Kiberlain, Jérémie Renier and Lyna Khoudri in support. Cédric Jimenez – whose 2020 hit Bac Nord (aka The Stronghold) grossed over $18m in France – directs and co-writes. Mathia Rubin (In Your Hands) and Hugo Sélignac (Bac Nord) produce.
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