Pacific Rim crosses $200m in thriller

Pacific Rim grossed $44.4m from 5,840 screens in the five-day opening weekend in China for a studio record as the local currency Rmb 277m overtook the Rmb 197m seven-day launch of The Dark Knight Rises.

The China result also delivered what Warner Bros Pictures International executives said was the fifth biggest opening weekend of all time for a Hollywood film. IMAX screens accounted for $6m from 109 sites for the second biggest debut in the market.

Pacific Rim has generated $20.2m in Russia, $17.9m in South Korea, $15m in Mexico, $12m in the UK, $9.7m in Taiwan, $8.1m in France and $7m in Australia. Guillermo del Toro’s film arrives this week in Spain, Japan and Brazil.

The Conjuring grossed $11.8m in 13 markets to reach $28.8m, taking $3.3m in the UK from 495 and adding $1.9m in Russia from 604 for $6.9m after two weekends.

The horror release grossed $1.3m in Australia from 170 for $5.5m after three and stands at $5.3m in Spain after the same amount of time. It arrived in Germany on a mediocre $875,000 from 222 including previews. Taiwan generated a record opening for director James Wan and the top horror release of the year-to-date on $680,000 from 83. Spain produced $500,000 from 297 for $5.3m after three weekends. Man Of Steel has amassed $359.5m and opens in Japan on Aug 30.

• UPDATED: Sony Pictures Releasing International executives reported a $49.4m launch for The Smurfs 2 from 1,760 screens in 43 markets at the weekend, a fair result that arrived day-and-date with the family sequel’s poor North American launch.

The word from SPRI is that the launch dropped a mere 4% against the 2011 debut of The Smurfs although it remained unclear whether this was for the same bucket of territories. In fact the decline of this opening weekend from the $60m of the original amounts to 12.5%, rising to 15.7% when the $60m figure climbs to an inflation-adjusted $62.3m.

Latin America accounted for $18m and delivered number one results in Brazil on $4.5m from 755, Mexico on $4.1m from 2,021 and a terrific $1.8m from 208 in Peru.1

The Smurfs 2 opened top in the UK on $4.9m from 1,038, arrived at number two in France on $3.9m from 700 and opened top in Germany on $3.1m from 1,046. Spain delivered $2.8m from 869. SPRI executives said there were further number one rankings in Holland, Belgium, Austria, and Switzerland

Russia produced $5m from 1,300 while South Korea generated $1.8m from 512. There are 40 markets to go including Australia, Italy, and China. 

Grown Ups 2 added $3.1m from 23 markets to bring the international total to $21.9m. 

• UPDATED: Fox International’s The Wolverine has sprung to $160.1m following a confirmed $37.4m second weekend haul from 12,865 screens in 66 territories.

The strongest of the holdovers were Brazil on $3.9m from 795 for $13.7m, Russia on $3.7m from 2,044 for $17.9m, Australia on $3m from 432 for $10.2m and Mexico on $2.9m from 1,453 for $11.8m. The UK generated $2.8m from 818 for $14.6m.

The superhero saga stands at $11.9m in France, $7.2m in Germany, $6.3mm in South Korea, $4.5m in Spain, $4.3m in Italy, $3.8m in the Philippines and $3.3m in Singapore.

The Heat earned $6.8m from 2,025 in 29 for $37.3m and opened in second place in the UK on $3.8m from 619 and second place in Holland on $471,271 from 75.

• DreamWorks Animation’s Turbo has reached $56.5m from 3,790 screens in 31 markets at this relatively early stage following a $6.7m haul. South Korea led the pack on $3m from 478 for $8.7m after two weekends.
• Now You See Me crossed $100m last weekend, mostly through Lionsgate International licensees. The running total has reached $117.6m following a $13.1m weekend in which the mystery debuted top in France on $5.9m from 558 and opened in second place in Mexico on $2.8m from 550.

Red 2 added $11.9m from 30 markets to stand at $33.4m. The thriller sequel opened in Russia on $5.1m from 750 screens and opened in the UK on a mediocre $1.6m from 431 to place seventh. It opened in fourth place in Brazil on $1m and added $1.7m in South Korea for $17.9m after three weekends.

• Snowpiercer amassed an estimated $18m through South Korea’s CJ Entertainment as Bong Joon Ho’s post-apocalyptic thriller reached an early $19m.
• UPDATED: Despicable Me 2 grossed $13.7m through Universal Pictures International from 6,210 theatres in 52 territories to reach $386.5m internationally and $712.9m worldwide.

There was a record animated launch in Lebanon on $254,000 from 16 dates that also ranked as Universal’s second biggest opening weekend and the industry’s fifth biggest debut.

Despicable Me 2 stands at $58.3m in the UK after six weekends where it ranks as the sixth biggest animated launch in history and the second biggest release of the year-to-date behind Les Misérables on £38.3m compared to £40.m.

Fast & Furious 6 grossed $9.6m from 3,577 in 26 territories for $535.2m internationally and $773.2m worldwide. The action thriller ranks second in China where it added $9m from 3,000 venues for $53.6m after 10 days to become Universal’s biggest release. It stands at $19.3m in Japan after 30 days.

A weekend haul of $4.3m for R.I.P.D. from 1,486 in 19 territories pushed the early international total to a lacklustre $18.3m. The film opened in eight territories including a $778,000 number one result in Malaysia in 87 dates and a number four debut in Hong Kong on $455,000 from 33. It topped the table in Taiwan on $737,000 in 64.

The World’s End grossed $2.1m from 735 in four territories for an early $12.9m tally. The comedy opened in Australia at number four on $975,000 from 206 and ranks eighth in the UK, where it has amassed $11.4m after three weekends.

The Purge stands at $15.3m, while Now You See Me, which Universal releases for Lionsgate in Italy, ranks third in that territory and has grossed $4.5m after 25 days. Foosball has taken $9.9m in Argentina and remains number one in the third weekend. Universal holds rights for Latin America and Spain.

• Monsters University generated $11.4m in its seventh weekend through Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International to push the tally to $354.9m. Japan has generated $58.3m, Mexico $38.1m, the UK $31.7m, Argentina a terrific $23.5m, Australia $22m, Russia $20.9m, Brazil $16.8m and Spain $14.2m. The Lone Ranger added $5.2m for $88.7m and opened in Japan on $3.7m. Russia is the lead market on $15.8m.
• Paramount Pictures International’s World War Z continued to stride towards the $300m mark, adding $7.5m from 3,075 sites in 55 markets to raise the running total to $292.5m.

Spain delivered a tremendous $4.5m number one debut from 665 for the biggest launch of the summer so far. France has generated $19m after five weekends and Germany $17.5m after six. The film looks set to soar past $300m when it arrives this week in Japan.

Star Trek Into Darkness stands at $225.3m and opens in Argentina and Chile on Aug 15 followed by Japan on Aug 23.