‘Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker’ Elevates To $919M Global; ‘Jumanji’ Swings Past $600M WW – International Box Office

UPDATE, writethru: Disney/Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker continued its global domination in the third weekend, now with a worldwide cume of $918.8M. It will soon become the Mouse’s 7th release of 2019 to cross the $1B mark. The current split is $450.8M domestic and $468M at the international box office where it is running 10% behind Star Wars: The Last Jedi (-7% when excluding China). This weekend The Force was good for $50.5M in 53 offshore markets and $84.2M global when including domestic.

Last week, Disney reported a record estimated $11.12B global haul in 2019 ($13.15B when Fox titles are included). The studio today hit another milestone with its Frozen 2 becoming the highest-grossing animated film of all time at $1.325B and as it heads into Golden Globes contention tonight. Although The Lion King at $1.657B global is higher, it officially falls under Disney’s Live Action umbrella. Frozen 2’s offshore cume is now $875.3M with a final likely above $950M.

Also making waves overseas this session, Sony’s Jumanji: The Next Level topped the $600M mark globally. Its $610M worldwide includes $374M from 64 international markets where the ensemble sequel saw just a 28% drop from last weekend to bring in an extra $42.4M. Brazil is still on deck later this month.

As expected, Sony’s Golden Globe nominee Little Women has marched past $20M offshore for $80.4M worldwide after adding $9.5M this weekend. Another Golden Globe contender, Lionsgate/Media Rights Capital’s Knives Out, continues to cut a fine figure with soft drops (including a 152% increase in Russia) and an added $8.8M in 70 territories to cume $117.2M abroad and $247.5M worldwide.

In new play, Miramax’s The Gentlemen, a return to British gangster action comedy for Guy Ritchie, got off to a solid overseas start with $7.6M from its first three markets (UK, Australia and New Zealand) ahead of domestic rollout on January 24.

Turning back to Star Wars, the movie has become IMAX’s 2nd biggest global release of 2019 with $82M to date. IMAX had its highest-grossing year ever at the global box office, climbing to $1.107B through December 31 and with 27 countries breaking their own records for the format.

There was also plenty of new local-language action this session with Italian family comedy Tolo Tolo taking in $21.5M, while Chinese romance Adoring made about $17M and Russia’s Invasion (aka Attraction 2) attracted $8.7M (each released during the week, so these are FSS numbers reported by comScore).

Sam Mendes’ 1917 from Universal (which tonight won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Drama) notably moves into the UK next week.

In the meantime, breakdowns on this week’s films above and more have been updated below.

NEW
THE GENTLEMEN

Guy Ritchie’s return to his gangster comedy roots released in three offshore markets this week, ahead of its January 24 domestic bow. The Miramax title (which STX is handling Stateside) made a splash when its trailer was first shown at CinemaCon in April and stars Matthew McConaughey as American expat Mickey Pearson, who built a highly profitable marijuana empire in London. When word gets out that he’s looking to cash out of the business forever it triggers plots, schemes, bribery and blackmail in an attempt to steal his domain out from under him.

The film, which also features Hugh Grant, Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Michelle Dockery, Jeremy Strong, Eddie Marsan and Colin Farrell grossed $7.6M at opening from 975 locations.

In the UK, where Entertainment Film is releasing, The Gentlemen debuted at No. 4 with $4.2M from 500 sites (including $1.1M from previews). This is 65% ahead of Ritchie’s Man From U.N.C.L.E., 60% ahead of Hitman’s Bodyguard, 8% ahead of Knives Out and on par with Ritchie’s Snatch.

Roadshow has the pic in Australia where it was the top opener, at No. 3 with $3.1M from 374 (including $55K in previews and $650K from its New Year’s Day launch). Similarly to the UK, Australia is tracking ahead of all comps including 56% ahead of Knives Out and 48% ahead of Hitman’s Bodyguard. Reviews have been strong locally.

New Zealand, also a Roadshow market, bowed at No. 4 with $324K from 101.

Upcoming key market releases include the Middle East and Mexico on January 24, France on February 5, Russia on February 13 and Germany on February 27.

THE GRUDGE

Screen Gems/Sony’s The Grudge, which had a rough domestic opening, began international rollout this weekend in 29 first-wave markets. The early haul is $5.8M from 3,100+ screens. Per Sony, it is tracking ahead of both The Grudge 2 (+35%), and Poltergeist (+39%) at current exchange rates for the same group of markets.
 
Play was OK in SE Asia where The Grudge bowed to No. 1 in three of five markets, led by Indonesia’s $1M. The Middle East delivered $1.4M for the region.

The Nicolas Pesce-directed film adds key markets through the end of February including Germany, France, Russia, the UK, Australia, Brazil, Mexico and Italy.

HOLDOVERS/EXPANSIONS
STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

Disney/Lucasfilm’s epic space saga ender is closing in on the $1B global mark with $918.8M through Sunday. At the international box office, Skywalker has now grossed $468M after adding $50.5M in 53 material markets this session. The overall drop was 47%. New this weekend was Vietnam while Korea is still to come on January 8.

For the 3rd frame in a row TROS was No. 1 in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, the UK and Japan. In Europe, where Star Wars is most at home offshore, the movie has passed $300M regionally.

Among the best overseas holds in the frame were Japan (-17%), Russia (-18%), Netherlands (-27%), Colombia (-29%), Sweden (-37%), Norway (-38%), Switzerland (-39%), New Zealand (-40%), France (-41%), Belgium (-41%), Austria (-42%), Germany (-44%), Spain (-44%), Finland (-45%) and South Africa (-45%).

The Top 5 markets to date are the UK ($67.1M), Germany ($56.5M), Japan ($48.6M), France ($45M) and Australia ($27M) which is the typical pattern of an SW movie. The China gross is now $19.3M.

JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL

With a 28% drop this session, Sony/Seven Bucks/Matt Tolmach Productions’ sequel added $42.4M from 64 markets. This brings the offshore cume to $374M for $610M global. Overseas, TNL is now 5% above Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle (at today’s rates) when excluding China where play has been soft. If we include China, the current pic is 3%M down.

Notably, Australia held the No. 1 spot in its sophomore session to gross $5.5M for a local cume of $19.8M. The UK remained a strong No. 2, delivering $4.1M in its 4th round to swing to $37.5M. Germany, off just 19% in its 4th frame, added $3.5M for a market total of $19.3M.

The Top 5 to date are now China ($41.2M), the UK ($37.5M), France ($22.7M), Australia ($19.8M) and Germany ($19.3M). Still to come is Brazil on January 16.

FROZEN 2

With an estimated $1.325B worldwide, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Frozen 2 has overtaken Frozen as the highest-grossing animated film in history. (While The Lion King has a bigger global cume, that film is a product of Disney’s Live Action stable.)

The offshore cume is now $875.3M after adding $42.4M this session and on its way to a $950M+ final.

This weekend saw great starts in Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia with all three posting the highest Disney Animation openings ever and Brazil ($10.3M) landing as the 7th best industry debut weekend of all time. 

The already-opened international markets dropped overall by just 32% from last weekend. All markets are now open.

The Top 5 hubs are: China ($118.8M), Japan ($103.8M), Korea ($96.2M), the UK ($65M) and Germany ($55.1M).

SPIES IN DISGUISE

Disney’s release of Fox/Blue Sky Studios’ family animation spied another $15.8M in 35 material markets this weekend. The overseas cume is now $42.1M for $88.8M worldwide.

New openings included Australia and China with $1.6M and $3.7M, respectively. In its second weekend of release, Spies dipped by 19% in Europe and 33% in Latin America. Critical and audience scores have been positive, and there are majors to come like Russia, Korea, Brazil and Japan, though kids are going back to school in many markets this week.

The Top 5 offshore hubs thus far are the UK ($5.6M), France ($5.2M), Mexico ($4.3M), China ($3.7M) and Germany ($2.8M).

LITTLE WOMEN

After beginning limited overseas rollout in late December, Sony’s Little Women continues marching to strong numbers. The Greta Gerwig-directed update of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel has enjoyed notable post-Christmas launches in the UK, Australia/New Zealand, France and Spain. With another $9.5M in six early markets this session, the film has now grossed $20.4M internationally. The global cume is $80.4M.

Following last weekend’s openings, holdover markets were down just 10% while the critically acclaimed picture is finding audiences in cities and smaller towns.

Australia debuted to $3.4M (including previews), which is four times the opening of The Favourite. France launched to $1.5M (including previews), surpassing The Favourite by 50%. The UK delivered $3.5M, holding constant in its 2nd weekend for a local cume of $12M.
 
Upcoming key markets: Brazil, Italy, Mexico, Germany and Russia through the end of January.

KNIVES OUT

Lionsgate/MRC’s original whodunnit carved up another $8.8M from 70 overseas markets this session as it rises to $117.2M offshore and $247.5M global.

Germany and Austria both kicked off the New Year with good starts of $2.7M and $665K including previews, ranked Nos. 4 and 2, respectively.
                                                                                                     
Many markets also continued to hold well over the holiday, including the UK (-5%), France (-16%) and Korea (-16%). In its 6th weekend, Russia/CIS increased +152% over last weekend benefiting from the national holiday week there.
 
The final market to release will be Japan on January 31.

The Top 5 markets so far are China ($28.1M), the UK ($15M), Australia ($6.3M), France ($7M) and Russia ($5.5M).

JOJO RABBIT

Fox Searchlight’s Jojo Rabbit kicked off in the UK this week. The Disney release took in $3M including previews and has had strong early bows including in director Taika Waititi’s native New Zealand where it has been No. 1 for five weeks. To date, Jojo has opened in just 8 material markets, grossing $9.4M collectively. Globally, it’s at $31M; further markets come this month.

MISC UPDATED CUMES/NOTABLE

Cats (UNI): $4.3M intl weekend (50 markets); $32.4M Intl cume — of which UK is $16.3M — ($57.1M global)
*Richard Jewell (WB): $2M intl weekend (12 markets); $2M intl cume ($23.2M global)
The Addams Family (UNI): $1.6M intl weekend (28 markets); $102.5M intl cume — $86.1M for UPI — ($200.5M global)
Last Christmas (UNI): $1.5M intl weekend (60 markets); $85.6M intl cume ($120.8M global)
The Good Liar (WB): $750K intl weekend (27 markets); $14.7M intl cume ($31.8M global)
The Lighthouse (UNI): $500K intl weekend (10 markets); $2.1M intl cume ($12.9M global)
How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (UNI): $200K intl weekend (Japan only); $361M intl cume ($521.8M global)
*Denotes New

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