ScreenDaily brings you the weekly international box-office news.

Solomon Kane

Avatar

Fox International’s Avatar had an impressive third weekend at the international box office dropping just 11% to $136.8m, with markets across the globe recording a bumper start to 2010. The sci-fi epic smashed through the $1bn worldwide barrier to become the fourth highestgrossing film ever

Black Lightning

The highest new entry in the international market was UPI’s Russian Black Lightning, which generated $8.4m from 798 screens across five territories including Russia and Ukraine, for a screen average of $10,600. The action film, produced by Wanted and Night Watch director Timur Bekmambetov, is the story of a man who buys a second-hand car that can not only fly, but also makes him a superhero.

Soloman Kane

Davis Film’s comic-book adaptation Solomon Kane, directed by Michael J Bassett and starring James Purefoy, enjoyed a 168% rise in three-day takings after expanding to five territories including Russia. The action adventure, about a mercenary-turned-avenging angel, took $3m from 605 screens, for a $5,000 average. Solomon Kane reaches the Netherlands on January 15 and the UK on February 5.

The Lovely Bones

Paramount Pictures International’s The Lovely Bones entered the international chart at 33 on its second week of release in Australia and New Zealand. Peter Jackson’s adaptation of Alice Sebold’s bestselling novel grossed $1.7m — a 429% increase — across 240 screens in the two territories, bringing the two-week total to $3m. The film is set to expand next week to Russia and Switzerland (January 14), and North America (January 15), before further steady releases until March.

Topics