International Details - Babel Feels Oscar Bounce

February 11, 2007

Babel just missed the top five this past weekend and showed that Oscar nods still meant something at the box office, at least internationally. The film added $5.16 million on 1467 screens for a total of $61.31 million so far. It was aided by a first place, $1.23 million opening on 256 screens in Russia, but that is one of the film's last significant openings.

• Fellow Oscar nominee, Dreamgirls also showed a lot of strength this weekend climbing from 23rd place to seventh with $4.99 million on 1136 screens in 11 markets for a very early total of $9.35 million. In the U.K. the film scored a solid first place opening with $2.62 million on 270 screens while it only managed fifth in Germany with $883,000 on 217 screens.
• Apocalypto slipped a couple spots to eighth with $4.95 million on 1924 screens for a total of $55.23 million. Mexico again led the way despite the film falling 47% to $1.32 million on 544 screens while its total of $5.12 million is strong given the size of the market.
• Die Wilden Kerle 4, a.k.a., The Wild Kerle 4, opened in first place in its native Germany with $4.27 million on 706 screens. Adding in Austria and other smaller markets, the film finished ninth with $4.94 million on 844 screens.
• Casino Royale was the first Bond film to open in China and the wait left the audience hungry. It dominated with an estimated $4 million on 468 screens over the weekend and $6.9 million in total; this made it one of the ten biggest openings ever for a non-Chinese there. Overall the film added $4.74 million on 1761 screens for a total of $415.70 million internationally and $581.58 million worldwide. Film's tend to have poor legs in China, a strong quota system has a lot to do with that, but even so $600 million worldwide is still within reach.
• Arthur And The Invisibles had some good news this past weekend as it opened in the U.K. with $2.33 million on 391 screens, which was good enough for third place. It is also more than the film earned here in total, taking into account the relative size of the two markets. Overall the film just missed the top ten with $4.49 million on 2159 screens; but with $67.25 million, it still needs a lot of help to reach profitability.
• Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute to Love tumbled from fifth to 12th down 57% in the process. However, the film still added $4.01 million on 723 screens and its total of $14.50 million after two weeks is very good in comparison to similar films.
• Saw III opened in Germany but had to settle for second place behind a local hit. However, its' $3.16 million on 436 screens there is still strong and a step up from the previous films in the franchise. Overall the film was able to return to the charts in 13th place with $3.88 million on 817 screens and has amassed $72.90 million.
• Dororo held strong in first place in Japan with $3.18 million on 296 screens for a two-week total of $10.48 million.
• Manuale D'Amore 2: Capitoli Successivi took a tumble this weekend down 50% to $2.69 million on 494 screens for a total of $21.36 million. That was still enough for second place in Italy and 15th place internationally.
• Notes On A Scandal opened internationally with a 2.25 million weekend, all of which was earned on 300 screens in the U.K. That was enough for 4th place in the market and 16th place overall.
• After reaching $100 million during the midweek, Deja Vu took a tumble this weekend falling 55%. It still managed $2.14 million on 1287 screens for a total of $105.55 million. The film has yet to open in Japan or China, but the $124 million earned by Philadelphia appears safe.
• Moliere ou Le Comedian Malgre Lui opened in France, and the smaller French-speaking markets, earning $2.15 million on 480 screens. This helped it finish third place locally and 19th overall.
• Happy Feet is coasting on holdovers down 39% to $2.10 million on 2201 screens for a total of $166.41 million.
• Miss Potter opened in Italy but missed expectations with just $232,000 on 146 screens, which is even more disappointing given the market's history with such films. Overall it added $1.99 million on 888 screens for a total of $17.56 million after a month of release.
• L'Ile Aux Tresors opened in fourth place in France, one of three markets it can call home, (the others being the U.K. and Hungary). In France the film made $1.87 million on 588 screens while adding in smaller markets it took in $1.92 million on 613.
• The Departed is shedding screens and markets at an accelerated pace, but it still managed to add another $1.85 million on 1091 screens in 21 markets for a total of $144.97 million internationally.
• Smokin' Aces climbed a couple spots to 23rd with $1.71 million on 740 screens in 6 markets for an early international total of $9.26 million. The film struggled in its debut in Spain managed just sixth with $449,000 on 175 screens while it fell 54% during its second weekend in Russia with $641,000 on 360 screens for a two-week total of $2.50 million. That may seem like a sharp drop-off, but it was better than average for the market this past weekend.
• Curse Of The Golden Flower made $1.66 million on 342 screens over the weekend for a total of $48.22 million.
• The Perfect Couple had the best week-to-week drop-off in South Korea as it remained in second place with $1.61 million on 279 screens over the weekend and $6.35 million in total.
• Marie Antoinette landed in 26th place with $1.49 million on 522 screens for a total of $33.96 million internationally.
• KM 31 opened in first place in this native Mexico with $1.48 million on 245 screens.
• The Last King Of Scotland returned to the charts with $1.48 million on 394 screens in 15 markets for a total of $8.34 million. The film was aided by its opening in Australia where it managed $244,000 on just 58 screens for a 13th place debut.
• Epic Movie had one of the worst week-to-week drop-offs on the chart falling from 18th place to 29th with $1.45 million on 310 screens for a total of $5.02 million.
• The Queen returned to the charts with $1.43 million on 710 screens, including $174,000 on 25 screens in Sweden. Overall the film has made $44.01 million internationally, which is just ahead of its domestic total.
• La Cena Per Farli Conoscere opened in fourth place in Italy with $1.36 million on 262 screens over the weekend and $1.51 million including previews.
• Despite opening in Australia and Italy, Stranger Than Fiction wasn't able to return to the charts. It the former market it managed $597,000 on 124 screens over the weekend and $629,000 in total; that did represent the best per screen average in the top ten. In the latter market in only managed 10th with $155,000 on 96. Overall its $1.11 million on 426 screens did lift its total to $7.30 million, which is very disappointing. Granted, Will Ferrell is not popular internationally, but this movie wasn't your typical Will Ferrell movie.
• Click opened in its final market and while its $1.09 million on 155 screens was a career best for Adam Sandler in the market, it might not be enough to lift its $97.3 million international total over the $100 million mark.

Filed under: International Box Office, Happy Feet, Casino Royale, Click, The Departed, Dreamgirls, Saw III, Déjà Vu, The Queen, Stranger Than Fiction, Epic Movie, Smokin' Aces, Babel, The Last King of Scotland, Notes on a Scandal, Marie Antoinette, Arthur et les Minimoys, Man cheng jin dai huang jin jia, Miss Potter, Salaam-e-Ishq (A Tribute to Love), Apocalypto