UPDATE, TUESDAY AM: Actuals for Warner Bros’ weekend leader Suicide Squad came in slightly higher than estimated on Sunday with a total $59M in 62 markets. That takes the offshore cume to $243.4M and the global total to $466M with German-speaking markets to open this weekend and Japan due on September 10. The sophomore frame’s slight uptick doesn’t greatly affect the overall weekend-to-weekend decline, shifting it from 56% on Sunday to 55.7% in the actuals. Can it hold on to the No. 1 spot this coming weekend for the trifecta? Its DC cousin, Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice, did so back in April.
While comping percentage drops overseas is not apples-to-apples given the vagaries of all the various markets and the disparate rollouts, Suicide Squad had a softer second frame drop than BVS’ 66% decline. The less familiar, yet fan-favorite, characters are not direct comps for the iconic caped guys but have notably risen above those chiseled chins in Russia, exceeding the entire run of BVS there. Suicide Squad has also performed well against comps Guardians Of The Galaxy, beating its runs in Mexico and Korea, while launches have been lively versus Deadpool.
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Competition in the demo, however, hasn’t been exactly full-on. The past weekend had a lot of holdovers and family play with no major wide offshore release from the studios — Pete’s Dragon and Sausage Party were just getting started. This frame will include Paramount’s Ben-Hur re-sandal, which has some impressive action sequences, although it’s not going wide. It’ll race out notably in Mexico and Brazil, along with pockets of Eastern Europe, South East Asia and Latin America. There’s also Warner’s Todd Phillips-directed War Dogs which significantly hits Russia and Australia.
Russia is really going to the dogs this weekend with Illumination/Universal’s The Secret Life Of Pets also opening there this frame. The film has been catnip during the dog days of summer as it nears $600M worldwide. It also came in slightly higher than Sunday’s estimate with a $40.3M frame and $593.3M global, No. 2 behind Suicide Squad overall. In China, local pics topped the charts, but fortunes continue to be lackluster. Ice Age: Collision Course and Jason Bourne muscle in there a week from today.
Actuals have been updated in the film-by-film breakdowns below.
UPDATE, WRITETHRU: In its sophomore outing, Warner Bros’ Suicide Squad again leads the international box office, this time ganging up on $58.7M in 62 total markets. The offshore cume is now $242.5M for a global total of $465.4M. This weekend’s bounty is a 56% drop from last week’s start which hit $133.3M in 57 markets. The 2nd weekend dip is slighter than the 66% second-frame slide of DC’s Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice earlier this year; and also much better than the domestic drop this weekend of 67%.
But whereas Sausage Party took a bite out of the Squad in North America, competition in overseas plays is varied and largely led by family films. The 56% decline is steeper than the sophomore sessions of comps Guardians Of The Galaxy (40.5% in August 2014) and Deadpool (36% last February), albeit in different rollout patterns.
In keeping with last weekend, the major new opening markets topped a combination of the comps. And after some solid midweeks, the supervillain pic has exceeded the entire runs of GOTG in Mexico and Korea, and BVS in Russia. In debuts, Suicide Squad secured No. 1s in Argentina and Italy and held the top spot in Brazil, the UK, Australia, Mexico and Russia (more detail below.). The widest new releases on deck internationally next weekend are Paramount’s Ben-Hur update and WB’s Todd Philipps-helmed War Dogs.
In the family film arena, and in the early days of a staggered release pattern, Disney’s Pete’s Dragon breathed fire into 12 offshore territories for a $5.1M debut. Also from Disney, Pixar’s Finding Dory is swimming on the edge of $900M global with $897.4M to date worldwide. That’s thanks in part to a splashy run in Japan where the cume is now $51M.
But the sea creatures, and Disney’s own The Jungle Book, were both topped in that market this weekend by The Secret Life Of Pets. The scrappy Illumination/Universal title kicked off with a wag-tastic $10M four-day debut frame as part of a $40M weekend in 47 total overseas plays which bring the international cume to $256.7M. Globally, Pets has now collared $592.6M. With that film’s performance and others, Universal Pictures International crossed the $1B mark this week for the 10th consecutive year.
Elsewhere in Asia, China has a handful of new titles this weekend (Line Walker, Love O2O) and an 81% drop for last frame’s winner Time Raiders. Korea has yet another homegrown hit in Seong-hun Kim’s Tunnel, which builds on what’s been a great run for that market in the past several weeks.
Breakdowns on the films above and more are updated below.
NEW
PETE’S DRAGON
SAUSAGE PARTY
From directors Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan who depart from family fare here, Sausage Party has been well-reviewed and should hit in R-rated comedy-friendly markets like the UK, Germany and others which come later in the rollout. Comps like Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s South Park movie and Team America: World Police, along with Rogen’s own Superbad and This Is The End, have typically performed much better domestically. Comedy is tough, but the universal themes and good word of mouth could help lift this one to better splits. Euro exhibitors at least were certainly entertained when they caught footage in Barcelona in June. The party continues in the UK on September 2, followed by Russia on September 8; and Brazil, Germany and Spain the weekend of October 6.
HOLDOVERS/EXPANSIONS
SUICIDE SQUAD
On 15,600 screens in 62 territories, Warner Bros’ DC adaptation picked off a $59M second frame. As noted above, that’s a 55.7% decline from opening and is better than Batman V Superman’s 66% drop in its 2nd frame earlier this year, as well as besting the 67% dip the film took domestically. The cume is now $243.4M overseas and $466M globally.
New plays included Argentina which grossed $2.4M on 340 screens for No. 1 and 60% of the Top 5 movies. That’s 145% over GOTG and 126% over the sassy X-Men anti-superhero. It takes the cake as biggest August opening weekend ever and biggest Will Smith debut. It is also WB’s 3rd best bow ever and the 4th best superhero movie opening.
In Italy, the weekend was $2.2M on 477 with 60% of the Top 5. This was a two-day bow. Looking at just opening day, the debut was 318% over GOTG, 129% ahead of Deadpool and 23% bigger than BVS. Smith again gets his top opening ever.
In holds, Brazil has a $22.9M cume to rank as the 2nd biggest WB title ever, behind only the caped guys. The UK has now grossed $29.2M after taking $5.5M on 952 screens in the second frame and landing No. 1 again. Australia $4.5M was good for another No. 1 — ahead of new openers Bad Moms and Sausage Party – and a $17.6M cume.
Mexico, where Suicide Squad has outrun the lifetime of GOTG, is now at $19.5M after a second week at No. 1 with $4.3M. This topped new opener Ghostbusters. Russia, where the movie is now bigger than BVS, added $4.1M to beat newcomers Pete’s Dragon and local pic Diggery for a $19.5M cume. France and Spain have cumed $12.1M and $7.4M, respectively.
Germany and Japan are still ahead.
THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS
Playing currently in 47 offshore markets, it added six this frame with a bunch of No. 1s — most notably Japan where four days of kibbles amounted to $9.6M ahead of a holiday weekend which should help boost all pics including new opener The Jungle Book and holdover Finding Dory.
For the 3rd week in a row the story of domestic animals who leave the comfort of their living rooms and rooftops for a New York adventure is No. 1 in Germany with a cume of $21.2M. The Netherlands is also at No. 1 for the second frame with a total of $4.8M including previews. Spain is also No. 1 again, beating Suicide Squad, with a cume of $10.7M.
In its 2nd week in China which is crowded with local titles, Pets got a $6.7M tummy rub for a 13-day total of $49.1M. The Korea cume is now $11.9M. France has totaled $14.9M and Mexico is at $18.4M.
JASON BOURNE
France, which takes its Bourne seriously, placed No. 1 with $3.3M including previews. This is the biggest opening of the series in the Hexagon. Germany came in No. 2 behind Universal’s other holdover Secret Life Of Pets with $2.8M; that’s just below Bourne Ultimatum but ahead of the other pics in the franchise. Switzerland was also a No. 1 play with $757K.
The UK is the top holdover at No. 3 in Week 3 with a 17-day total of $2.9M. Australia is also in Week 3 with an 18-day total of $12.6M.
There are seven more releases to come including China on August 23.
FINDING DORY
GHOSTBUSTERS
Mexico, Spain and France called up Sony’s remake this frame as $7.2M was added to the international slimefest for a total $72.2M. Mexico was a No. 2 debut against the 2nd frame No. 1 hold of Suicide Squad. The market grossed $2.5M from 1,699 screens to give director Paul Feig his biggest opening ever, beating Spy by 77%. In Spain, the top new entry where Secret Life Of Pets is dominating play, was worth $840K on 520 screens. Sony’s all-femme Ghostbusters took $1.2M from 468 screens in France. Japan comes into the picture next weekend, followed by Korea.
BAD MOMS
Australia was a strong No. 2 opening behind the 2nd frame of Suicide Squad with $3.1M from 270 locations and including previews. That’s on par with Trainwreck, 33% ahead of What To Expect When You’re Expecting, 25% tunier than Pitch Perfect, 19% more than How To Be Single, and an 11% better grade than Bad Teacher.
Bad Moms biked to No. 4 in its Netherlands bow with $625K at 106 locations. That’s notably 76% ahead of Bridesmaids.
In holds, France has a $1.5M cume; Belgium is at $598K, riding above The Heat and How To Be Single. Denmark has a total $1.07M and is tracking well ahead of all comps. Norway saw an 16% dip for a total of $889K; and Finland fell only 3% for a cume of $471K, again ahead of comps
THE JUNGLE BOOK
ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE
THE BFG
For the moment we have just the Disney estimates for the Latin America and Asia Pacific territories where it is handling Steven Spielberg’s family pic. The weekend was worth $5M to take Disney’s portion to $32.6M overseas. New markets included Korea and Mexico along with some Asian plays. The film opened at No. 2 in the Philippines and Taiwan with $600K and $500K, respectively. Mexico debuted with $1.4M.
THE SHALLOWS
Sony’s peril at sea pic buoyed up in 21 new markets this frame for a $4.4M weekend in 36 total. The international cume now stands at $21.8M. Blake Lively’s shark tale surfaced with $1M in the UK (including previews) at 377 locations. That was good for 61% bigger than the recent Point Break remake. In the Philippines, the movie was the top new entry with $535K (including previews) on 114 screens. The UAE also saw The Shallows surf in as the top new entry with $530K from 45 screens. France and Australia are coming up next weekend with Brazil, Germany and Italy in their wake.
LIGHTS OUT<
STAR TREK BEYOND
Picking up $2.5M in its 4th weekend, Paramount/Skydance’s latest entry in the Star Trek franchise has taken its cume to $71.6M. Rollout continues on the pic that has France, Korea and Spain ahead next weekend. China also looms on September 2. Holdover totals include the UK with $18.7M, Germany at $13.5M and Australia at $6.7%.
MIKE & DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES
Fox’s Mike & Dave hooked up with $2.3M in 19 markets this frame, taking a No. 5 slot in the UK debut at $1.35M on 515 screens. Colombia ($145K) and Ecuador ($52K) opened 1% and 6% bigger than Neighbors, respectively. The international cume is now $15.2M with France, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Peru and Chile in the wings next week.
ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS: THE MOVIE
Bringing the party to New Zealand, the ladies overall took a $1.7M swig from 577 screens in six markets. In NZ, the weekend was $459K for No. 2 while Australia fell 49% for $1.1M and a $4.3M cume. The Netherlands dipped just 26% on the Fox Searchlight title for a $1.35M total. The international cume is $27.5M with the majority of the marketplace still to come.
MISC UPDATED STUDIO CUMES
X-Men: Apocalypse (FOX): $3.1M Japan weekend (final market); $384.3M intl cume
Now You See Me 2 (LGF): $2.2M intl weekend; $251.7M intl cume
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows (PAR): $1.7M intl weekend; $157.2M intl cume
Me Before You (WB): $1.3M intl weekend; $138.1M intl cume
Independence Day: Resurgence (FOX): $1.3M intl weekend; $280M intl cume
Central Intelligence (UNI): $1.1M intl weekend; $81.8M intl cume
The Purge: Election Year (UNI): $597K intl weekend; $21.4M intl cume (crosses $100M WW with $100.5M)
ASIA HIGHLIGHTS
Last week’s China champ, Time Raiders, saw an 81% drop in its second frame, landing it in 4th place amongst Middle Kingdom entries with $12.3M, per comScore with a $121M cume. The film began strong and held well early in the week, but faced tough word-of-mouth. Nevertheless, it has become one of only three local summer releases to cross the $100M mark in what has been a lackluster season.
Louis Koo pulled double duty this weeekend with Hong Kong war pic Call Of Heroes which comScore has at $12.7M in China, just ahead of The Secret Life of Pets. The period actioner sees a group of villagers rise up against a cruel warlord; it’s directed by Benny Chan.
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