UPDATE, with actuals: Fox’s Logan leapt a massive $6.5M in Sunday finals at the international box office. Beasting out with a $159M offshore bow, the Wolverine threequel has a global total through Sunday of $247.3M. It has also become the biggest R-rated overseas opener ever, topping Fifty Shades Of Grey‘s 2015 haul of $156M. Fifty did not have China in the mix, and that is where $2.54M of the extra gross on Logan materialized — despite cuts and a parental advisory. Also notable: The UK opening is the all-time best for star Hugh Jackman at $11.8M including previews.
The Middle Kingdom is tops overall, unclenching $48.8M at No. 1 and over 33% bigger than 2014’s X-Men: Days Of Future Past. China was the top market on 2013’s The Wolverine, finaling at $41M. Last year’s X-Men: Apocalypse grossed $121M in the PROC, and DOFP ultimately picked up $116.5M there.
Actuals on all films reporting have been updated below.
UPDATE, Writethru: Just as he tore into the domestic weekend, 20th Century Fox/Marvel’s Logan shredded it offshore. The international box office debut for Hugh Jackman’s final turn as Wolverine handily clawed its way to $159M from 82 markets. This is Fox International’s third-biggest launch of all time, behind X-Men: Days of Future Past ($172M) and Avatar ($164M). Globally, the bow is $247.3M. And, they did it in 2D.
It’s fair to say the film flew past our predictions — which also is to say not even the industry was expecting this. Kudos to the Fox marketing claws. And, while an R rating doesn’t translate directly offshore, the sentiment does with audiences often more attuned to tougher fare.
The James Mangold-directed pic opened to No. 1 in 81 markets (Turkey’s Recep Ivedik 5 was the sole movie to better it at a No. 1 local hold). In Imax, and at $20.6M, this is the second-biggest R-rated global debut behind Fox’s Deadpool. Internationally, it is the biggest R-rated Imax release ever with $10.6M on 687 screens. What’s more, the gritty superhero pic is also the biggest 2D Imax opening offshore. Both records outstrip Deadpool in the format, particularly thanks to $4.4M on 388 in China.
Logan debuted last month at the Berlin Film Festival with leading men Jackman and Patrick Stewart in attendance, shining a global media spotlight on the movie. That was a a bet, and has worked for previous films of varying ilks: The Grand Budapest Hotel; Cinderella, Fifty Shades Of Grey…
Mangold said he hoped the film would reach a wide audience with thought-provoking fare. “It’s important that movies that reference pop culture and are franchises and have large national audiences do something more than sell Happy Meals or T-shirts but make audiences ask questions,” the director said.
There is bullishness on legs for this Western/superhero mash-up, which is clearly justified. But there’s another beast on the horizon — two in fact. Warner Bros/Legendary’s Kong: Skull Island opens day-and-date next week, and after that Disney’s Beauty and the Beast will look to re-tell a tale as old as time.
In other notable totals this weekend, Universal’s Fifty Shades Darker whipped across the $350M worldwide mark, while its A Dog’s Purpose wagged past $100M worldwide. Lionsgate’s La La Land tapped out an international cume that’s passed $250M and Warner Bros’ The Lego Batman Movie built to a $100M+ offshore score.
Breakdowns on the above and more have been updated below:
NEW
LOGAN
Fox’s heavyweight R-rated Logan delivered a stunning $159M opening from 82 markets this weekend. This is the top R-rated debut ever overseas and Fox International’s 3rd biggest of all time, only behind X-Men: Days Of Future Past ($172M) and Avatar ($164M). It also edges out Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge Of The Sith ($145M) and Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs ($151). Notably in Brazil, it’s the Pico lot’s biggest opening of all time (and the industry’s 7th biggest ever in the market).
The top five markets are as follows: China ($48.8M/No. 1/33% bigger than X-Men: Days Of Future Past); UK ($11.8M/No. 1/1% bigger than DOFP); Brazil ($8.9M/No. 1/Fox’s biggest opening of all time); Korea ($8.1M/No. 1/Fox’s 9th biggest opening of all time); Russia ($7.8M/No. 1/18% bigger than DOFP).
Apart from appearing in Berlin, the team traveled to London and Beijing and did a big junket in Taipei. Overseas, as elsewhere, the title “Logan” has an impact on awareness; it’s not entirely clear this is an X-Men movie, in other words. And while that title and the marketing have been massaged in some cases overseas, once audiences get their claws in, the expectation is that the movie will leg out.
In a sign of prescience among the writing team, issues surrounding the Mexican border were already in the script, Jackman said in Berlin, before the U.S. presidential debates began. There is hope that the story, a darker look at the X-Men universe — which Jackman pitched as “Little Miss Sunshine with Marvel characters and violence,” per Mangold — will resonate in today’s world.
The last time Jackman sprouted adamantium claws in a spinoff, The Wolverine came in low domestically ($132.5M) but was also, at the time, the biggest of the full franchise offshore at $283M. It has since been overtaken by X-Men: Days Of Future Past, Deadpool and X-Men: Apocalypse. Deadpool, given its R rating domestically and the X-Men heritage would seem like a comp, but this movie is likely to have a different demo.
The biggest market overseas on The Wolverine was China, followed by Russia at $22.2M, Brazil at $21.4M and the UK with $21M. Mexico was also a key play. There have been big currency swings in those markets so, as per usual, a grain of salt needs to be taken when comping older dollars to today’s.
However, it also bears repeating that this is a 2D movie and so achieved this sharp opening weekend without that format’s higher ticket price.
HOLDOVERS/EXPANSIONS
RESIDENT EVIL: THE FINAL CHAPTER
Continuing its run in China, Screen Gems/Constantin Films’ sixth installment in the video game franchise added $17.7M there for a local cume of $141.2M. It was topped by Logan which clamped down on the market but left some room for the zombie apocalypse. The full weekend overseas was $18.4M from 9,400 screens in 43 markets, bringing the cume up to a terrific $267.3M.
A DOG’S PURPOSE
Amblin Entertainment’s puppy tale had a barking good start in China despite lots of competition, growing $17M in 3rd place via Huaxia. In total, the Dennis Quaid-starrer wagged out $17.4M this frame across Universal and Mister Smith markets (and including the Middle Kingdom). This has propelled the Lasse Hallstrom film past $100M worldwide and gives it an international total of $41.1M. Universal had a very good opening in the Philippines at No. 3 with $349k at 137 dates and Singapore got a $228K belly-rub at No. 2 behind Logan. Still to come are notably Colombia, Russia and Japan.
SING
As it tunes up to pass $300M international, Illumination/Universal’s animated charmer belted out another $12M in 62 markets this frame to bring the offshore box office to $298.2M. Globally, the Garth Jennings-helmed title is at $566.4M. Russia opened bigger than Moana, Trolls and Frozen with $6.6M including previews – at No. 2 behind Logan. In China, the total is now $27.4M after three frames. Japan next takes the stage on March 17.
LA LA LAND
Last Sunday’s last-minute Oscars snafu hasn’t dampened Lionsgate’s La La Land overseas as the six-time winner fell by just 27% for an $11.4M frame in 77 markets. The offshore cume has crossed $250M at $251.1M, lifting worldwide to $396.8M. There were strong holds in most majors as well as some increases over the preceding song-and-dance session. Notably, Japan has now grossed $13.9M after two weeks. The UK continues to lead at $36.7M, followed by China with $33.2M and still firmly in the Top 10 there despite a bevy of U.S. pics. At this rate, $400M global should be on the dance card this week.
FIFTY SHADES DARKER
Grinding past $350M worldwide on Saturday, Universal’s Fifty Shades sequel is now at $356.4M global. Internationally, the S&M noir added $10.6M in 60 markets this frame for a $246.4M overseas cume to date. Germany can’t get enough of Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson’s love story with a slight 27% drop from last frame and a total of $28.5M after four. Brazil is also still in the throes with a 27% week-on-week drop for $19.5M to date. France’s cume is $22.1M so far. While the play room will continue to see action over the next couple weeks, the final climax comes in Japan on June 23.
THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE
With a weekend gross of $11.4M from 11,715 screens in 60 international markets, Warner Bros’ animated sequel has an overseas cume of $109.3M. The main opening was in China at $3.5M. That was good for a No. 4 debut on 4,555 screens. While not a blockbuster, it bears noting that the first Lego movie never released in the Middle Kingdom — and there was a lot of competition in play.
The top market is currently the UK with $31.1M, followed by Germany at $6.2M, after a slight dip this weekend and Mexico at $7.6M. Holland has school holidays wrapping up and saw a dip of just 2% from last frame for a total $2.5M. Still to click into place are Australia (March 30) and Japan (April 1).
SPLIT
Crossing $100M internationally, M Night Shyamalan’s psychological thriller/horror pic took $8.2M captive in 53 markets this frame. That lifts the offshore total on the Universal/Blumhouse pic to $105.7M and to $239.8M worldwide. The only opening this session was Paraguay at No. 2 with $16K at 16 dates. France in its 2nd week is at $6.9M after adding $2.5M at No. 3. Korea is strong at an 11-day total of $11M, and Mexico likewise is showing personality with a No. 2 3rd frame for $6.4M over 17 days. Still to come are Bolivia, Chile, Russia and Ukraine on March 16; Brazil and Ecuador on March 23 and Japan on May 12.
THE GREAT WALL
Legendary and Universal’s monster movie scaled another $6.4M in 46 territories for a total of $108.8M. With China’s $170M added in, the international total is $278.8M. The co-production, which has been closely watched, has crossed $40M domestically and the worldwide total is now $320.2M. There were no new openings this weekend, however Brazil held to No. 2 with $1.5M for an 11-day total of $6.8M. Italy’s sophomore frame is playing at No. 3 for an 11-day total of $2.7M. Universal’s next and final release is Japan on April 14.
JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2
Cracking the wick overseas, Lionsgate’s sequel picked up another $5.9M in 79 markets with no new openings. The international cume on the Keanu Reeves-starrer is now $61.5M for a worldwide total of $144.5M. Most offshore markets have already surpassed the original’s lifetime, or are on track to do so. The UK leads at $6.8M, followed by Germany at $6.1M and Russia at $6M. Italy, Spain and Australia are still on deck.
MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
Following Casey Affleck and Kenneth Lonergan’s Oscar wins last Sunday, drama Manchester grossed an estimated $1M in 14 Universal territories for a total of $12.5M. Sierra/Affinity sold offshore rights in other markets and with its $10.9M, brings the offshore total to $23.4M. Worldwide the total is $70.8M. Business was up or only slightly dipped on the pic in Uni markets with Italy dropping 16% for a $1.4M total. Elsewhere, box office buoyed including in France (+15%), Germany (+34%), Austria (+61%), the Netherlands (+46%), New Zealand (+15%) and Singapore (+48%). Uni still will release in Russia and Japan, notably.
MISC UPDATED CUMES/NOTABLE
Hidden Figures (FOX): $3.7M intl weekend (42 markets); $36.4M intl cume
T2 Trainspotting (SNY): $3M intl weekend (32 markets); $30.1M intl cume
Assassin’s Creed (FOX): $2.55M intl weekend (7 markets) $183.8M intl cume
Moana (DIS): $2.9M intl weekend (30 markets); $340.2M intl cume (Japan is last market to release next week)
Rings (PAR): $2.1M intl weekend (44 markets); $51.4M intl cume
xXx: Return Of Xander Cage (PAR): $2M intl weekend (35 markets); $293.1M intl cume ($157.8M China cume)
A Cure For Wellness (FOX): $1.25M intl weekend (29 markets); $11.7M intl weekend
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