UPDATE, writethru: Expanding to a handful of key markets this weekend, Universal/DreamWorks Animation’s swooped into the top spot on the international box office chart with a $40.2M frame. This lifts the overseas running total to $84.4M from 41 markets so far in release. The threequel breathed a bit of fire into the offshore frame, helping to push the weekend up by about 8% across the Top 5 titles versus last week, and last year.
Universal took a long lead on Dragon 3 offshore, going out in Australia just after the New Year to take advantage of the peak summer holiday season there, and then rolling into more hubs over the past four frames. There are further significant launches to come. (The threequel hits domestic theaters on February 22, but has already fired up Universal-Fandango early access screenings.)
Bowing in 23 international markets this session, the Dean DeBlois-directed HTTYD3 was No. 1 in 20 of those new homes. It played like a fury in Mexico with $7.7M at 865 locations for the biggest launch weekend ever of a DWA title. The UK bowed to $6.8M at No. 1 and ahead of both prior installments. Italy is also tracking well ahead of those two movies while Brazil’s hold was a terrific -27% at No. 1 for $10.3M after three frames. Oz leads all play at $15.5M.
This is the first installment of the $1.2B franchise under DWA’s new home at Uni and opens in France and Germany this week. It will also look to benefit from the February 5 Lunar New Year holiday in Korea and South East Asia this week. That same date kicks off the annual China lockout on imports with HTTYD3 set for March 1 in the Middle Kingdom.
In an otherwise quiet weekend, two local pics did big business in their respective markets. Korea’s crime comedy Extreme Job made $20.9M in its second frame to cume $48.8M per comScore. In France, Qu’Est-ce Qu’On A Encore Fait Au Bon Dieu?!, the sequel to the 2014 runaway comedy, opened to $12.8M.
Last week’s offshore leader, M Night Shyamalan’s Glass — which Disney is releasing abroad — dipped 49% in the 3rd session. It added $12.2M in 54 markets for an overseas cume of $110.3M, still running marginally below the previous Eastrail 177 trilogy entry, Split. The worldwide total will pass $200M once today’s actuals are finalized, or with tomorrow’s numbers.
Behind Glass, five-time Oscar nominee Green Book, which is going out internationally via a mix of Lionsgate and Amblin Partners, had a combined $11.9M weekend for a $25.5M cume to date. The Peter Farrelly-helmed pic recently scored a March 1 China date and could see a nice bump when it opens there following the local February frenzy.
It’s also worth highlighting the China performance of Sony’s Escape Room where the reported $9M budget pic has now grossed $33.5M after three weekends. The week-to-week drop was just 17%. While there hasn’t been much new blood ahead of the February 5 holiday, the performance is notable in that few mystery-thrillers like this see the inside of movie theaters in China. That has raised curiosity along with a cultural resonance given the popularity of escape rooms in the big cities.
In milestones, Warner Bros’ Aquaman has topped $1.1B global ($783.4M international) and opens in Japan on Friday. Also from WB, Creed II topped $200M global this round while Disney’s Ralph Breaks The Internet has now surpassed the original Wreck-It Ralph both domestically and internationally as it closes in on $500M global.
Next weekend will see increased action, led by China where more than 10 new local titles will flood cinemas beginning Tuesday. Among the most-anticipated are sci-fi epic The Wandering Earth and racing-themed comedy Pegasus. From the studios, the new wide release will be Warner Bros’ The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part which is hitting most markets in the opening suite save China, France, Mexico, Italy, Australia and Japan. As noted, the latter is getting Aquaman on Friday in the last stand for the fish-man.
Breakdowns on this week’s films above and more have been updated below.
HOLDOVERS/EXPANSIONS
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD
This weekend, it opened at No. 1 in 20 of 23 new markets (there are 40 total in release). Mexico was the best start at $7.7M, a record for DWA. Next was the UK with $6.8M at 555 locations, ahead of both previous movies. Korea, where two local pics came in above it, bowed to $4.65M at 445. The opening day there was tops for the series. Italy grossed $3.45M from 448 at No. 1 and 137% above HTTYD1 and 67% above HTTYD2.
At No. 1, Malaysia scored the biggest DWA opening weekend ever with $1.9M from 141. Thailand ($1.8M/2nd biggest animated opening of all time), Taiwan, Singapore, Argentina, Belgium, Peru, Denmark, Hong Kong, South Africa and more were also No. 1 bows.
Brazil held -27% at 606 sites for a $10.3M cume after three weekends. Australia is the leader with $15.5M. The coming frame adds France and Germany. Russia and Spain follow day-and-date with domestic while China goes on March 1 and Japan on August 23.
HTTYD2, which was released via Fox, made $65M (unadjusted) in China, followed by the UK ($41.5M), Russia ($30M), Germany ($26.9M) and France ($25.1M). The sequel finaled at $444.5M overseas and $621.5M global.
GLASS
The Top 5 on Glass are the UK ($11.3M), Russia ($10.1M), Mexico ($9.5M), France ($7.6M) and Germany ($6.8M). That’s relatively in line with Split, if we switch Mexico out for Korea where Glass has not clinked with audiences in the same way.
GREEN BOOK
Via Lionsgate, Italy had a strong No. 2 debut this weekend with $1.8M at 323 locations. The next major market for LGF is Mexico on February 8. Via Amblin, the UK bowed at No. 2 this session with $2M including previews. Spain was also a No. 2 debut with $1.14M. In Germany, the Viggo Mortensen/Mahershala Ali-starrer made $1.2M and has the best per-screen average of the session. In holds, Australia dipped just 12% for a $3.16M cume and Korea has grossed $1M to date.
Green Book has a China date of March 1 (in a flat sale deal) and should benefit from Amblin’s relationship with Alibaba Pictures which will be expected to lean on its popular ticketing platform Tao Piao Piao to support the movie. It will be coming out just after the Oscars and could see an awards box office halo in the Middle Kingdom as did recent pics The Revenant, La La Land, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri and The Shape Of Water.
ESCAPE ROOM
Elsewhere, the UK launched to $1.1M (including previews). Overall this weekend, the film made $8.8M in 33 markets. The international cume is $44M. Still to come are Australia, Brazil, Russia and Mexico this weekend, followed by Germany, Italy and Spain.
RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET
Adding $8.5M in 31 markets, Ralph is approaching the $300M mark internationally and $500M global. The respective totals through Sunday are $289.5M and $486.5M. New this weekend were the Finland, Norway and Sweden, all at No. 1 and all ahead of the original. Germany, which bowed last frame, held No. 1 again with a slight 21% drop. Spain held to -11% and the Netherlands was off by just 20%.
The Top 5 cumes to date are China ($39M), Japan ($33.9M), the UK ($22.8M), Mexico ($17.4M) and Brazil ($16.4M). Still to open in France on February 13.
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY
CREED II
In highlights, Italy has topped the first movie by 11% after just two weekends with a $7M cume and Germany also knocked out Creed I, by 19%, with $4.2M to date. The Top hubs are the UK ($12.8M), France ($12.6M), Italy, Australia ($6.3M) and Mexico ($6.2M).
DEADPOOL 2
THE MULE
Paramount’s Transformers origins story revved up another $6.2M in 49 markets this session. The offshore cume is now $331M with Japan still to come in late March. In China, Bee added $5.4M in the 5th weekend at 7,014 locations. The cume there is $167.5M.
MISC UPDATED CUMES/NOTABLE
Aquaman (WB): $4.6M intl weekend (77 markets); $783.4M intl cume
Mary Poppins Returns (DIS): $4.3M intl weekend (35 markets incl $2.5M Japan debut); $160.5M intl cume
The Favourite (FOX): $4.1M intl weekend (31 markets); $33.1M intl cume
A Dog’s Way Home (SNY): $3.1M intl weekend (26 markets); $15M intl cume
Mary Queen Of Scots (UNI): $2.3M intl weekend (33 markets); $17.8M intl cume (incl $8.6M from UK)
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (SNY): $1.6M intl weekend (60 markets); $172M intl cume
The Kid Who Would Be King (FOX): $1.2M intl weekend (21 markets); $5M intl cume
Dragon Ball Super: Broly (FOX): $1M intl weekend (20 markets); $72M intl cume
The Upside (STX): $873K intl weekend; $7.65M intl cume
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